TI 2023 Playoffs: Entity knock out defending champions Tundra Esports in huge 2-0 upset

Entity pulled off one of the biggest upsets of The International 2023 over Tundra Esports with an impressive comeback win in game one and a dominant showing in game two.

Kurt Lozano
·Contributing Editor
Updated ·6-min read
Entity knocked out defending The International champions Tundra Esports in the final day of The International 2023's Road to The International Playoffs. Pictured (from left to right): Entity Kataomi`, Gabbi, Stormstormer, watson, Fishman. (Photos: Entity, Valve Software)
Entity knocked out defending The International champions Tundra Esports in the final day of The International 2023's Road to The International Playoffs. Pictured (from left to right): Entity Kataomi`, Gabbi, Stormstormer, watson, Fishman. (Photos: Entity, Valve Software)

Upsets continue to abound in The International (TI) 2023 as Entity knocked out defending TI champions Tundra Esports in a huge 2-0 upset in the final day of the Road to The International Playoffs lower bracket on Monday (23 October).

Tundra were looking primed to claim a second-straight Aegis of Champions this year after they added two-time TI champion Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen to their roster in September after Martin "Saksa" Sazdov took an extended health break.

On the other hand, Entity struggled throughout the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit season but were reinvigorated by the addition of Filipino star Kim "Gabbi" Santos as their new offlaner. They then earned their spot in TI 2023 after a near-perfect run through the Western European regional qualifier.

Tundra had a phenomenal start to TI 2023's Road to The International Group Stage, finishing the first phase as the top seed of Group D with a 7-1 record. Meanwhile, Entity had a less than stellar start by taking the second seed of Group A with a 4-4 record.

Both teams then struggled in the second phase of the Group Stage and were forced to a lower bracket start in the Playoffs.

Tundra fell victim to a massive 2-0 upset to North America's Nouns Esports while Entity were also soundly swept by China's Azure Ray. As a result, Tundra and Entity were matched against each other in the final series of the first round of the lower bracket.

Tundra opted for an aggressive draft to start the series with Oliver "skiter" Lepko on Chaos Knight, Topson on his signature mid Pugna, Neta "33" Shapira on Sand King, Leon "Nine" Kirilin on a support Weaver, and Wu "Sneyking" Jingjun on Grimstroke.

Meanwhile, Entity looked to take things late behind Alimzhan "watson" Islambekov's Naga Siren. Daniel "Stormstormer" Schoetzau on Invoker, Gabbi on Primal Beast, Vladislav "Kataomi`" Semenov on Dark Willow, and Dzmitry "Fishman" Palishchuk on Ancient Apparition were tasked to help their carry survive to the late game.

Tundra were on fire to start game one, as Topson shut down Stormstormer and took the mid tier one tower in just five minutes while an early Blink Dagger from 33 allowed him to get an 11-minute Triple Kill. The defending champions continued rolling and seemed primed for a quick game one win.

Despite being down by over 15,000 gold in net worth after just 27 minutes, Entity pulled off a stellar flank on Tundra and claimed four huge kills to spark their comeback. In a pivotal fight for Roshan at the 33-minute mark, a clutch three-man Terrorize from Kataomi allowed Entity to get three more profitable kills, the Aegis of the Immortal, and much-needed momentum.

With their momentum ground to a halt, Tundra could do little to stop a surging Entity squad from dominating the ensuing teamfights. From the 40-minute mark onwards, the defending champions severely lacked the damage to keep up with Entity's high-damage, tanky lineup.

In the 47-minute mark, Tundra tried one last ditch attempt to regain their footing by contesting another Roshan from their opponents. However, Entity were simply too far ahead by that point with a net worth lead of over 42,000, demolishing the defending champions in one last clash to force the GG call.

Watson's stellar play on Naga Siren was instrumental in Entity's game one comeback win, finishing with 12 kills and 12 assists on four deaths to pace his team's 34-30 kill lead. Stormstormer and Gabbi also played pivotal roles, combining for 14 kills and 39 assists on four deaths apiece.

Game two then saw both teams switch strategies. Tundra looked to take things late with an overwhelming gold lead generated by skiter's Alchemist and 33's Doom. Topson on Zeus provided damage from afar while Nine on a support Monkey King and Sneyking on Nature's Prophet were tasked with split-pushing to slow the game down.

On the other hand, Entity looked to secure the sweep with a midgame deathball featuring Terrorblade for watson, Batrider for Stormstormer, an offlane Kunkka for Gabbi, Vengeful Spirit for Kataomi, and Undying for Fishman.

Tundra were successful in their attempts to slow the game down, as Entity had difficulties finding the five-on-five clashes they needed to start snowballing. The game then devolved to a slog, as Entity only managed to find small skirmishes as they looked to pick off Tundra's split-pushing heroes.

However, Entity finally found the teamfight they were looking for at the 40-minute mark when Tundra tried to smoke gank them in the mid lane. Even if Tundra got the jump on them, Entity broke the game wide open when they scored a huge kill on skiter that allowed them to go for a base push.

Tundra then botched their high ground defense, as Entity took down skiter after forcing him to buy back from his previous death. Entity pounced on that golden opportunity and went for Tundra's tier four towers and scoring more kills on the remaining defenders, eventually forcing the defending champions to tap out after 42 minutes.

Watson put up another stellar performance, notching 12 kills and seven assists on just one death to pace Entity's 28-15 kill lead in the closeout game. Stormstormer also added seven kills and 13 assists on one death.

With their victory, Entity have guaranteed themselves at least a 9th-12th place finish as well as US$61,000 in winnings. They will face Virtus.pro in the final match of the Playoffs for the right to advance to TI 2023's Main Event.

Meanwhile, Tundra bow out of the tournament in a disappointing 13th-16th place with US$46,000 in consolation.

The Road to The International Playoffs will take place from 20 to 22 October in the Seattle Convention Center's Summit. It will feature the 16 teams that made it out of the Group Stage fighting to be among the eight teams making it to The International Main Event.

The International Main Event will be hosted in the Climate Pledge Arena from 27 to 29 October, where this year's Dota 2 world champion will be crowned in the Grand Finals on 29 October.

For everything you need to know about TI 2023, check here.

For more esports news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooEsportsSEA and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page and Twitter, as well as our Gaming channel on YouTube.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Conservatives Routed in Worst Election Result for 200 Years

    LONDON—The Conservatives, the world’s winningest political party, were booted out of power in dramatic style on Thursday after 14 years of chaotic and divisive rule.The Labour Party had secured a landslide victory, ending an era of Conservative rule over Britain that stretches back to 2010; the year that the iPad and Instagram were launched and Lady Gaga wore that meat dress to the MTV music awards.In that time, the Conservatives have cycled through five leaders, each of them dragging the party

  • Horrifying moment husband wheels suitcase containing murdered wife from home while carrying child

    A husband who strangled his wife in front of her two children and lover on a video call was captured wheeling the suitcase containing her body out of his home.

  • The world must prepare for President Michelle Obama

    The 2024 US Presidential race intensifies. Speculation abounds over potential replacements for President Joe Biden amid increasing pressure from his party and the media to step aside after a jaw-dropping, catastrophic debate against Donald Trump last week. Among the names circulating, a game-changer is emerging: Michelle Obama. Could this be America’s worst nightmare?

  • When Ms ‘Malaysia’ visits Malaysia: American tourist gets warm welcome from locals awed by unique name (VIDEO)

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — An American tourist decided to visit Malaysia for a special reason: Malaysia also happens to be h...

  • Embattled Biden makes latest gaffe saying he’s the ‘first Black woman to serve with a Black president’

    President’s July 4 blunder comes as he desperately tries to claw back confidence among voters and party members after last week’s debate flop

  • Joyce Chen confirms she has become a mother

    The TVB actress shares photos of her and her daughter, not revealing partner's identity

  • As AG stays silent, Rosmah presses on with bid to strike out money laundering and tax evasion charges

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's money laundering and tax evasion trial proceeded today despite the lac...

  • Putrajaya submits diplomatic protest note to UN rejecting Manila’s bid to reclaim Sabah after Paris court rule

    Malaysia submits diplomatic note to UN Secretary-General António Guterres rejecting the Philippines’ claim to Sabah r...

  • The Head of NASA Is Being Awfully Catty About China's Amazing New Moon Samples

    China recently became the first country to ever return samples taken from the far side of the Moon, a historic mission that could have profound implications on our understanding of its evolution and ability to host human life. But thanks to a law called the Wolf Amendment, which was enacted by the US government in […]

  • Opinion: What Britain’s first Asian prime minister meant to my family

    The defeat of the Conservative Party in the UK election ends Rishi Sunak’s two-year premiership. Does it also sour the story of Britain’s first Asian prime minister, asks Sunder Katwala.

  • Voices: Tory downfall: The 9 reasons it has all gone wrong for Rishi Sunak

    A series of world events, poor decisions and fatal gaffes conspired to see Rishi Sunak lead the Tories to the worst electoral defeat in his party’s 346-year history

  • Beijing is laughing at the West’s weakness

    Russian aggression in Ukraine poses a threat to world peace and stability. China provides material support for Russia’s actions. All this is entirely clear. In Beijing, immediately after a meeting with Xi Jinping in April this year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without China’s support”. This included selling huge quantities of machine tools and micro-electronics that would be used in the Russian defence industry.

  • How Obama mentored the new UK prime minister to help him tell his story

    The leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has been mentored by Barack Obama. The relationship is likely to continue if Starmer wins the UK election.

  • Victoria Starmer: Britain's 'reluctant' new first lady

    Sir Keir Starmer’s wife of 17 years has been largely absent from the campaign trial and isn’t at all keen on moving into No10. From her political roots to their unlikely meeting, Katie Strick charts the life of the PM’s fiercely private other half

  • Canadian Police Seek Suspects in Pants-on-Fire Arson

    One of two suspects in an arson in Richmond, British Columbia, set himself on fire and “despite efforts of both the suspects, [his] pants continued to burn,” according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).The RCMP released footage of the incident, which they said occurred in the early hours of April 24.“At approximately 4:30 am Richmond RCMP attended for an alarm at a business located in the 2600 block of Simpson Road,” police said.“Frontline officers located a broken window and small fire directly in front of it. Evidence was also located which indicated the fire had been intentionally set.“A subsequent review of video surveillance from the area determined that two unidentified men wearing masks had approached the business on foot prior to allegedly smashing the window and then lighting an object on fire. While lighting it, one of the suspect

  • Zelensky U-turns as he invites Russia to attend peace summit without giving up land

    Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Russia to the next peace summit despite previously saying it could only join if it relinquished land in Ukraine.

  • Michelle and Barack Obama Celebrate Daughter Malia's Birthday with Sweet Throwback Photos: 'Still Willing to Hold Your Dad’s Hand'

    "You deserve the world and more," Michelle wrote to her daughter on Instagram

  • Van Jones Reveals ‘Behind The Scenes’ Moves That Could End Biden Campaign

    The CNN commentator detailed the “big conversation” taking place right now among Democratic insiders.

  • Lebanon's Hezbollah rains 200 rockets on Israel as Gaza war rages

    Lebanon's Hezbollah launched more than 200 rockets and drones at Israeli army positions on Thursday, escalating tensions between the two adversaries amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.After months of deadlocked Gaza ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to send a delegation for talks aimed at securing the release of hostages seized in Hamas's October 7 attack that sparked the war.The announcement, which came a day after Hamas said it had "ideas" on halting the nearly nine-month conflict, followed a phone call between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden."The leaders discussed the recent response received from Hamas" and "the President welcomed the Prime Minister's decision to authorise his negotiators to engage with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal," the White House said.Israel launched a military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, in response to an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist militant group on its territory.The next day Hezbollah, in support of its ally Hamas, opened a front on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, and the two sides have since exchanged near-daily cross-border fire.Hezbollah said it fired more than 200 rockets and "explosive drones" at army positions in northern Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed one of the Iran-backed group's commanders.Air raid sirens blared across northern Israel in the morning, and an AFP correspondent witnessed rockets crossing the frontier that were mostly intercepted by Israeli air defences but sparked wildfires.A military source said later a soldier was killed by a rocket fired into northern Israel.- Fighting in Gaza City -The Gaza war broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza including 42 the army says are dead.In response, Netanyahu vowed to "crush" Hamas and Israel's military launched an offensive that has killed at least 38,011 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.Gaza's civil defence agency said seven people were killed Thursday in Israeli strikes, including five in a school in Gaza City, in the north of the besieged territory.Fighting raged in the city's Shujaiya neighbourhood and in Rafah, on the southern border with Egypt, where an Israeli evacuation order raised fears of a major new offensive.Since the order was issued on Monday, tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled eastern areas of Rafah and nearby Khan Yunis.The United Nations says 1.9 million people are thought to be displaced in Gaza, and that around nine in every 10 people in the territory have been uprooted at least once since the war broke out."Behind these numbers, there are people... that have fears and grievances. And they had probably dreams and hopes; the less and less, I fear today, unfortunately," said Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN humanitarian office in the Palestinian territories."People who in the last nine months have been moved around like pawns in a board game."- Evacuation order -The United Nations says up to 250,000 people were affected by Israel's order to evacuate 117 square kilometres (45 square miles) -- equivalent to one-third of Gaza's territory.The Israel-Hezbollah border clashes have killed at least 496 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 95 civilians, according to an AFP tally.Israeli authorities say at least 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed on their side of the UN-patrolled border.The Gaza war at the heart of the violence has meanwhile raged on, with gun battles, air strikes and shelling rocking Gaza City for an eight straight day.Israeli troops "destroyed tunnel routes in the area and eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat with tank fire, and in aerial strikes," the military said.- 'Maelstrom of human misery' -Israel has faced an international outcry over the soaring civilian death toll, punishing siege and mass destruction in Gaza.The UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, this week called for an end to the "maelstrom of human misery".Netanyahu has insisted Israel will destroy Hamas and bring home the remaining hostages.Biden, under growing domestic pressure over Washington's support for Israel, in late May outlined a roadmap for a six-week truce and exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.There has been little progress since, but Hamas said Wednesday it was communicating with officials in Qatar and Egypt as well as Turkey with an eye to ending the conflict.Hamas said its Qatar-based political chief Ismail Haniyeh had "made contact with the mediator brothers in Qatar and Egypt about the ideas that the movement is discussing with them with the aim of reaching an agreement".Netanyahu's office said Wednesday that "Israel is evaluating the (Hamas) remarks and will convey its reply to the mediators".The main stumbling block so far has been Hamas's demand for a permanent end to the fighting, which Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners strongly reject.burs-dv/kir

  • ‘I’ve lost my job and my house, but my wife and I are worth £650m – how can we pay less tax?’

    Rishi Sunak, 44, finds himself in a bind. After a highly successful career in the City of London, followed by a brief but eventful spell in politics, he has suffered a serious demotion and been evicted from his home.