ESL One Genting was an event which saw a number of firsts. It was the first event of 2017, the first event played in the new 7.01 patch and the first time Digital Chaos won a significant championship since the formation of their current roster. It was a deserved win too after their 3rd-4th place at the Boston Major last month had highlighted their potential.
So let’s take a look at the heroes of Genting, who claimed the trophy after edging out Newbee in a five-game thriller.
Roman “Resolut1on” Fominok
The Ukrainian is one of the few CIS players who plays outside of his home region after joining DC in the February of last year.
Playing in position 1 as a Hard Carry, Resolut1on has been progressing ever since he joined the squad and has become one of the most stable players in his position.
Resolut1on proved quite versatile at Genting, playing a total of eight different heroes in 11 games. He was particularly impressive in the Finals against Newbee and in the last two games with Slark and Lifestealer, he did not die once.
When he was given the space, he farmed extremely quickly too. One particular highlight was scoring a personal record by getting a 14-minute Radiance with Naga Siren in the second game of the Finals.
Aliwi “w33” Omar
If you combine a Meepo user, a player who goes for a never before seen Mjollnir + Vanguard Invoker build, and one who uses hero taunts to please the crowd when his team are only one defeat away from losing the Finals, then you get w33. The half-Syrian, half-Romanian star has grown in stature over the past year to become a firm fan favourite, and not just because he knows how to flirt with the crowd.
Ever since he joined DC after getting kicked out of Team Secret last March despite winning the Shanghai Major with them, w33 has flourished. Having a playmaking style with a love of the fight, he handles heroes with these abilities best. Much to his and the fans’ delight, he had the chance to play Meepo and was a main factor in their group game against Execration, but he also had solid performances with Invoker against Virtus.pro in the semifinals (where he went for the unconventional survivability + DPS build), as well as with Ursa in the Finals against Newbee.
David “MoonMeander” Tan
A generally underrated player, MoonMeander proved once again that he is a great Offlaner. He joined the ranks of DC during the Fall Shuffle after he was kicked out of OG following their disappointing run at The International 2016.
It did not take long for him to adapt to his new team. Generally known for his stable performances, MoonMeander occasionally goes for high-risk, high-reward decisions, but he opted to play it safe in Malaysia.
He played a crucial role in the Finals, particularly in the last two games. In game four, MoonMeander was arguably his team’s MVP with his Sand King, which included the flashy first blood kill against a duo lane along with general rotating, ganking and being a constant nuisance as a split pusher. He also had an important role against Wings Gaming in the Group Stage with Legion Commander.
Rasmus “MiSeRy” Filipsen
The Danish veteran is the heart of DC as his role as a captain, leader and drafter is paramount to the team’s success. One of the most experienced players on the Dota scene, MiSeRy evolved from a player who once avoided the captain’s role to one embracing it with natural flair.
MiSeRy’s contribution to his team’s achievement was both in-play and as a drafter at Genting. On quite a few occasions, such as in game four versus Newbee in the Finals, DC won their games early while still in the drafting stage.
DC were most successful with either strong laning presence drafts or late game drafts with Naga Siren. Meanwhile, as a Support, MiSeRy was most influential with Keeper of the Light (against Newbee) and Pudge (against Wings Gaming).
Martin “Saksa” Sazdov
Before joining DC, Saksa had sporadic success with smaller teams in the lower levels of Dota. However, upon being added to the Digital Chaos roster in March, the position 5 Support’s quality was quickly noticed by the majority of the community.
Although Saksa was the least versatile player in his team during ESL One Genting with five heroes played in total, his performances on Rubick and Shadow Demon, the two most played heroes by him with four games each, were particularly important to team strategy. With both heroes Saksa would contribute with either successful rotation for a gank or strong team fight presence involving initiating, saving a team-mate or stealing a spell to turn the tides of battle.
Conclusion
While DC were not considered favourites to win the tournament, a closer look at their progress suggests it was only a matter of time before they claimed their first prize. And in the end, as a result of good execution and drafting, as well as being among the first teams to adapt to the patch changes, DC were deserving champions.
