By Fantasy
For a long time the upset victory over Neolution eSports.MRR in the Thai HoN Tour playoffs a few months ago was viewed as just that, an upset, maybe even a fluke. In the following weeks and games, DD0G could overcome pretty much every task at hand, even Sync eSports at the World Finals, but they could never overtake the dynasty team around Chitawan`X anymore. They tried and tried, came close many times, only to wind up as the losing part of the engagement time after time. In the regular season they had no chance, in postseason events offline in the Garena Thai studios they couldn’t get past Neolution eSports.MRR - they seemed to be the kryptonite to DD0G’s superman’like rise to the top.
The win over Sync eSports obviously helped them in the quest of getting the fluke tag removed from their image, but playing second fiddle in your home region was never enough for the hungry and determined DD0G’s. This weekend they finally managed to get over the hump, win against their rivals and become one of only six teams to ever win a Thai HoN Tour postseason event.
With the win they are emerging into a class of only a few elite teams, namely Neolution eSports.MRR, KaiD, MiTH.s2y, Hybrid Gaming and Turtle Master. No one else could ever clinch the cycle victory of the prestigious G-League in Thailand. The win adds another chapter into the success story that is DD0G’s emergence to fame, fortune and glory - a journey that started not even a year ago.
From an unknown team in the third season of Thai HoN Tour they developed themselves into a fierce competitor in their domestic circle, as well as on the world stage. Winning the big title, the Thai HoN Tour Championship last season already put them into the elite category next to MiTH.s2y in terms of former Thai champions, but a postseason success brings it full circle.
In a gripping and thrilling match, the caliber only a few teams in Thailand can produce, DD0G didn’t buckle this time, didn’t bend or gave their rivals an inch. Standing their ground on the battlefield, making smart decisions and putting in their work at the draft - the full spectrum is and was necessary to dethrone the big kings of Neolution eSports.MRR. The rivalry and matchup was the second consecutive time these two Thai giants squared off in the fourth season’s Grand Finals - something that is also not very common in Thailand recently. Usually, with the fluctuation and inconsistency of several teams, the matchups are getting shaken up quite a lot. Capable teams like Turtle Master, Get Together and obviously Cycle 1 Champion Hybrid Gaming are always waiting and ready to pounce on the smallest weakness of their opponents, making the Grand Finals pick’em as precise of a science as fortune teller’s are.
Now it seems to have changed with Neolution eSports.MRR and DD0G once and for all solidifying their position as the top teams in the region. The specific order of those two will most likely change and might always be up for debate, but at least now they are separated from the pack.
It’s not only a great win for DD0G to finally get rid of the old demons haunting them, as well as the “fluke” tag being eradicated once and for all, it’s also a massive morale boost for DreamHack. The boys from DD0G will board the plane and go to Jönköping, Sweden as the third Thai team ever - their debut. In terms of Thai DreamHack debuts, this team might be the most ready as we’ve ever seen. Not only going into the competition with a huge momentum following a domestic title, but also with the knowledge of having played against NA/EU teams before. In their debut neither MRR, nor MiTH.s2y really had that sort of preparation.
Needless to say, both Thai teams are eager to make a mark on Sweden, especially after the positive outing they’ve managed to pull off on their home turf in Bangkok, Thailand. Now they are ready for the DreamHack stage, trying to end the streak of Thai teams going out in the group stage.
Fantasy is a journalist with four years of experience working in various eSports. He is currently the HoN Tour correspondent for the CIS and SEA regions, as well as an editor for both ESL Gaming and compLexity Gaming. In addition to his online endeavors, he studies Publicity and Communication, plays American football, and loves movies.
