The Manila Major – Team Data Analysis

The Manila Major, the precursor event to The International 2016, was the final stop for teams to get things sorted out and ready the big event, and money pot, of the year. In previous articles we talked about the importance of team synergy and how this impacts in-game decisions and performance. This major only further affirmed this point. Several teams had great performances and showed continued consistency that is also promising in regards to the professionalism of teams and organizations. I cannot confirm the validity that players are on a professional equivalence to that of conventional pro athletes, this will be further examined in a future piece.

Before I continue into the individual teams and their performances, let’s take a look at the stats and see, from a data standpoint, how well teams played, overall, during the tournament.

Constantly & Consistently Winning: OG

This is the second Major where we are seeing OG win the tournament, and handily. This is not a coincidence. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, whatever winning formula/poise that they’ve discovered to get them over the hump, it’s working astoundingly. I’m very excited and hopeful that they continue to perform in a similar manner at The International. Newbee took them the distance in the Upper Bracket Finals at The Manila Major, and I am curious as to how the finals would have varied if OG had to face LGD.

Unexpectedly good results: Liquid & Newbee

It is fair to say that I did not expect to see Liquid or Newbee perform so well at this tournament. After so many disappointing performances by both of these squads in the past, I had mediocre expectations for these rosters. Their performances are typically good, but they are known for choking in high-stakes matches. The Manila Major results make the upcoming TI6 the most exciting of all previous renditions. To my recollection there has never been this many teams performing at their best going into The International. It’s an exciting year for Dota 2, and esports! I am very hopeful that whatever mojo that Liquid and Newbee have found, they keep it going.

Always in the fight: LGD & MVP Phoenix

The roster changes for LGD appear to be normalizing nicely and they should be ready for The International as well. Their team performance and stat lines look quite impressive and hopefully they have found their big stage nerves by now. MVP is always on the cusp but just can’t seem to get their entire team to perform at their best, at the same time, when the matches matter most. These teams show consistency but remind me of the Argentina National Team (football) or Kevin Durant (basketball)… when it matters most, they choke.

Signs of Life: Natus Vincere

I have not seen NaVi perform this well in a major in such a long time. I am uncertain if this was only made possible by the performances of EG & Secret, but it is a positive sign of life in within NaVi. Their recent roster changes may have been the spark that they’ve been looking for. This team performing relatively well directly prior to The International only brings more hype for the biggest event of the year. I am thoroughly excited to see which teams will perform well at this year’s The International.

Roster Acclimation: EG & Secret

Even though they traded players between each other, EG & Secret are definitive contenders for the TI6 title. The roster changes for EG didn’t necessarily represent poor player performances, but zero synergy. Secret on the other hand looked out of sorts. This tournament for them was more for experience as a new roster and working on team synergy. Because of this, we do not consider this major a key variable for predicting their future performances at tournaments.

The International begins in only a few days. The hype is real!