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Ad Finem and HellRaisers, two classic Dota 2 organizations, are back in the Dota Pro Circuit after claiming the second qualifier spots for CIS and Europe at the Dota Summit 11 Minor.
This is the first time either team will be appearing in a Valve-sanctioned tournament since 2017 when both organizations parted ways with their Dota rosters. It wasn’t an easy ride to make it into the Minor, but each team proved that they have what it takes to at least remain relevant.
HellRaisers signed its new roster just two weeks before the Major qualifiers and had a very strong showing against the likes of Natus Vincere and Virtus Pro. Unfortunately, that run was halted pretty early into the playoffs by Positive Guys and later Old But Gold.
Now, forced to play for a Minor spot, the team came out looking a little shaky, losing 2-0 to the jfshfh178 team.
But with their tournament lives on the line, Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov’s squad managed to turn things around and get revenge on OBG, eliminating the veterans from the tournament 2-0. HellRaisers then went on to completely stomp jfshfh178 3-0 in the rematch and secure the second CIS invite to the Summit.
This will be the organization’s first time appearing at a DPC event since The International 2017, where they placed 17th.
As for Ad Finem, the team split all four series in the group stage of the Major qualifiers. The players didn’t look too impressive and it seemed Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team Singularity were set to take the Minor tickets.
That prediction held true through the upper bracket as Ad Finem lost to Singularity in the opening round, but they had one last chance for revenge after destroying Ascomanni.
In an extremely close and exciting five-game series, Ad Finem outlasted Singularity and claimed the last EU slot for the Minor. The returning roster made a statement, showing they were going to carry their banner back into the DPC after disbanding more than two years ago.
The importance of tier-two teams in the Dota 2 scene continues to rise, and seeing two familiar faces break back into the competition is a treat for classic fans of the game. We will see how far they can go when Dota Summit 11 begins on Nov. 7.
