They say the International is always full of surprises, and The International 2014 (TI4) is making sure to live up to that. This year, no teams seem to be emerging from the group stage unscathed, unlike the previous Internationals where one team remained undefeated in the group stage—Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) for The International 2011 (TI1), LGD for The International 2012 (TI2), and Alliance for The International 2013 (TI3).
The top team at the moment is America’s Cloud 9 (C9) with an impressive 4-1standing. It is followed by five other teams with 3-1 standings, including Chinese teams, Vici Gaming (VG) and TI2 champions Invictus Gaming (iG). These teams are joined by Western teams Na’Vi.US, Team Liquid, and TI1 Champions Na’Vi.
And speaking of champions, last year’s champion Alliance and fan favorite Team DK are in the bottom six. If these teams continue underperforming, they risk being eliminated from the tournament as early as the group stages.
Check out the current standings:
With a total of at least four games played per team, it’s still too early to say anything, as each team will have to play at least eleven more matches. However, the current standings are definite morale boosters for the top teams, and pressure cookers for those at the bottom.
Unlike last year, elimination for TI4 will happen as early as the group stages. Only the top two teams in the group stage are guaranteed slots; the bottom six are eliminated, and the remaining teams will play in brackets to determine which six will head to the main event. More information on the new format can be found here.
You can also check out more of our TI4 coverage here.
Meanwhile, TI4 already has casualties:
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