Gaimin Gladiators were the unexpected winners of the BetBoom Xmas Show after defeating Team Spirit in a close 3-2 victory. Of course, this came as a shock, not only because they are facing the International 10 (TI10) Champions themselves. But Spirit previously swept an earlier series.
The key takeaway is that Gaimin looked formidable throughout the event, teasing a strong showing in the upcoming season.
BetBoom Xmas Show Mini-Recap
After Gaimin’s overwhelming defeat in the upper bracket, they managed to snatch the series off Nemiga to revisit their old nemesis.
When they did, Gaimin seemingly learnt a lot since their last interaction, whereby the Lina ban is consistent across all five matches in the finals. Team Spirit picked Lina for their latest addition to their team, Denis “Larl” Sigitov, who showcased great impact on the hero.
Lina has always been a meta pick for her long auto-attack range and good scaling into late game. While her physical damage and attack speed makes her an exceptional heavy-hitter, her ultimate deals a whopping 900 pure damage.
Sure, a single-hero ban might seem excessive, but Team Spirit is in a situation where their weakness lies in their newbie player. It made respect-banning Larl more effective than banning any of the TI10 champions’ signature heroes.
Reflecting back on Gaimin Gladiators ’22 Season
Taking a trip down memory lane, Gaimin is a considerably new team, debuting early in 2022. It didn’t take long for them to establish themselves as a promising powerhouse. In that regard, DPC 2022 has been a rollercoaster for Gaimin.
They emerged as the top WEU candidate that defeated Team Liquid in the first Tour of DPC 2022. The second tour concluded with a commendable second place, which they then earn major invite to the ESL One Stockholm 2022.
Losing to OG and settling for fourth place wasn’t too shabby since OG had Sébastien “Ceb” Debs as stand-in. As the latter went on to win first-place at the major altogether. Although Gaimin eventually fall off during the third Tour, they already garnered enough DPC points for a TI11 direct invite.
TI debut for GG
All-in-all, a TI debut within their first year of competitive play is a phenomenal accomplishment on its own. And ninth place at TI11 really isn’t too shabby. If anything, it’s still a good reflection of Gaimin’s consistent playstyle that works effectively against typical opponents that revolves around executing well-calculated fights, such as PSG.LGD, Liquid and BOOM Esports.
Gaimin Gladiators going into DPC 2023
With the Betboom Xmas Show coming to an end, Gaimin’s next goal is the Dota Pro Circuit 2023 (DPC 2023), which they have front-row seats. The Division 1 bracket of DPC 2023 Western European region is arguably the most anticipated competitive scene to watch. Where the top three winners of TI11 currently reside and will compete at the upcoming season.
Gaimin released Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan, who went on to join Team Secret’s force. In return, gained a mighty mid-player worthy of everyone’s respect, Quinn “Quinn” Callahan, aka CCnC.
It is Quinn’s first experience competing for a WEU team, which will surely be a drastic change from his average North American adventures. Considering how well Quinn already plays in NA, we have high expectations for him to perform above and beyond.
