A week before The International 2014: what are Asia’s chances?

The International 2014 (TI4) is happening next week, with players from around the world converging on Seattle for a chance at making their mark on history.

As with all tournaments, there will be winners and losers. But let’s take a closer look: who, among all our Asian representatives, has the best chance of taking the prize?

(See: Who’s representing Asia in The International 2014?)

Invictus Gaming (iG) – China

Let’s start with the team that recently smashed Western teams in ESL One Frankfurt 2014—Invictus Gaming. After its second roster change post-The International 2013 (TI3), many doubted if we were ever going to see the same iG that won The International 2012 (TI2). Invictus Gaming’s carry player Luo “Luo” Yinqi was greatly criticized due to his inexperience and lack of synergy with the rest of the team, and there were internal issues at that point that observers noted as “impossible to resolve before TI4”.

(See: ChuaN talks about iG, Newbee, and his future in this emotional interview)

However, iG’s recent performance in ESL One silenced all doubters and stunned the audience and its opponents with great coordination, map awareness, discipline, and decision-making. It even secured game three of the grand finals with a 22-0 final score against North American powerhouse Evil Geniuses. Over the last two months, iG’s match win rate increased by 0.4 percent while its event win rate increased by an impressive 25 percent.

With its current strength, iG is definitely eyeing the throne as The International champion, and should it succeed, it will be the first team to win an International twice.

Team DK – China