Team Secret in 2017: a mid-year report by Sheen Sah

Team Secret’s First quarter of 2017

Secret barely missed cashing out to begin January 2017. Tying Virtus.pro for 5-6th Place at Dota Pit League Season 5 wasn’t quite enough to take a slice of the $140,000 prize pool. Team Secret’s record was 1-2, defeating Digital Chaos (players now called Planet Odd) before losing to Evil Geniuses (1-2) and Invictus Gaming (0-1).

February brought the SLi Season 3 EU Qualifier, which sends two teams to the Main Event in China. Therefore, Team Secret’s 2nd Place finish was successful enough. However, the rest of February didn’t treat TS so well. The Dota 2 Asia Championships 2017 Qualifier ended with Secret in 4th Place, a failure. And though Secret cashed out at SLi Season 3, losing to TNC Pro team was an unexpected result.

Team Secret qualified for the Kiev Major with ease to secure solid earnings in April. An 8-1 record in the group stage prepared Secret to go undefeated in the playoff stage. None of the CIS-EU teams stood a chance.

Second quarter 2017

Team Secret went undefeated claiming the number one seed of the Kiev Major group stage. SG e-sports (0-3 group stage record) met Secret to begin the round of 16. TS was swept by SGe and left Kiev in last place. What a bummer that must have been; losing their round of 16 matchup costed Team Secret $62,500. SG e-sports doubled their money by pulling off a reverse sweep.

SG e-sports certainly lit a fire beneath Team Secret, because when May came TS was ready to play. An in-form Virtus.pro eliminated Secret from Mr. Cat Invitational Europe (VP won the tournament). However, the Secret took 1st Place in the EPICENTER qualifier before also taking 1st Place at the DreamLeague Season 7 EU Division for $10,000.

Team NP cut Secret’s run short with a reverse sweep in the losers’ bracket of the Manila Masters. TS went 0-2 in Manila, falling to Newbee in the winners’ bracket. The dead last tie with Clutch Gamers earned Secret only $5,000.

Secret was last seen at EPICENTER 2017, earning a 3rd Place group stage record before entering the playoffs. Invictus Gaming was the first round opponent, and Secret swept the series 2-0. The semifinals presented Evil Geniuses, and this time Secret was swept 2-0 earning 3-4th Place at EPICENTER for $40,000. Highlights are below.

Grade: C+

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