Some of the best Dota teams from Europe, Russia and the CIS will be playing at the Pinnacle Cup. Here are the official Pinnacle Cup - Dota Power Rankings. Read on to find out more.
The first-ever Pinnacle Cup – Dota begins on May 5, 2021, and as we dive into the action, there are so many interesting matches to look out for. The event comprises a pretty even mix of teams from the Upper and Lower divisions of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) across both the European and CIS regions. Based on the current results from their DPC games and with a little bit of inferential work we can piece together some pretty reasonable expectations. Either way, it should be a very competitive fight for the $100,000 prize pool.
One thing to keep in mind is that there may be a bit more variance due to the tournament coinciding with the DPC. Some teams may focus more on their DPC games, especially if they lose early in the tournament, while others might fall or rise based on their recent results in the professional league.
That all said, here are the Pinnacle Cup – Dota Power Rankings for 2021.
1. Team Spirit
Team Spirit tops our Power Rankings thanks to their 4-0 match record in the Upper division of the CIS Dota Pro Circuit. Though they have not met Virtus.pro yet (who are probably the number one team in the region), Spirit have looked extremely good so far. Most of their wins have been pretty clinical 2-0 results and they stand a very good shot at finishing in the top two in the league. In the Pinnacle Cup, the competition should be relatively equivalent to what Team Spirit has faced so far, so there is no real reason to expect anything other than a very good showing.
2. Vikin.gg
Vikin.gg spent a lot of 2020 as one of the most exciting teams on the rise to the upper echelon of Dota. However, after several excellent performances against some of the best teams in the world, Vikin.gg’s results began to slip. Their first season in the DPC proved to be a huge disappointment as they finished in the bottom two and were relegated to the Lower division.
They then made a roster change to upgrade their weakest position and they seem to be getting back into good form. Though it’s hard to say they have regained their early-2020 status, they are 4-0 so far in the European DPC’s Lower division and should be well on their way to earning promotion back into the Upper league.
3. HellRaisers
For most of the first DPC season, HellRaisers looked like the best team in the CIS region’s Lower division. Aside from one bad week, they beat everyone and ended up narrowly missing out on promotion to the Upper division. After the season ended, HellRaisers made one roster move to bring in arguably one of the best Support players in the region.
Since that move, HellRaisers have smashed the competition in the Lower division and have not dropped a single game in four best-of-three matches. This is a team that has a history of emotional volatility but as long as they are on a roll they could very well win the entire Pinnacle Cup.
4. Brame
Brame battled their way through the Lower division of the European DPC to earn a promotion into the Upper league for season two. Despite the drastic upgrade in competition, Brame has handled the games admirably. Though they currently sit in seventh place out of eight, Brame’s 6-7 game record shows that they have the ability to challenge even the best in Europe. The team recently took out Alliance - the current Upper division leaders - and this could prove to be a huge confidence boost. Brame’s performance has always been a bit inconsistent but they are scrappy competitors with a good deal of competitive experience.
5. Hellbear Smashers
Like Brame, Hellbear Smashers smashed their way into the European DPC Upper division. However, unlike Brame, their showings since have been less than inspiring. Currently sitting 3-8 in overall games and facing relegation at the end of the season, Hellbear Smashers seem to be trending in the wrong direction; however, there is a good amount of talent and high-level experience on the team so it’s hard to count them out. It’s also worth considering that without much to play for in the regional league they may give extra effort and be more focused on earning a nice payday in the Pinnacle Cup.
6. Team Unique
Team Unique seem to have settled into their role as a fairly consistent tier-two CIS team. They did just enough to avoid being relegated to the Lower division in season one of the DPC. In season two they look poised to potentially do the same thing again. It’s surprising because this is a team with a huge amount of competitive experience, but they have not been able to find a groove in their play. I’m a little hesitant to put them this low as they could suddenly find their mojo and level up to become a really competitive team.
7. Level UP
Despite coming together in March, Level UP have shown good potential in the European DPC Lower division. Only dropping one series so far, to Vikin.gg, Level UP looked poised for promotion into the Upper division at the end of the season. They play a pretty eclectic brand of Dota which make sense considering the team is made up of players from five different countries.
This is a team that is certainly hungry for success and has a really solid mix of experience and hungry young talent. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it’s hard to count Level UP out as they could easily take games off anyone in the Pinnacle Cup.
8. PuckChamp
PuckChamp had a tough welcome to the Upper division of the CIS Dota Pro Circuit. After fighting their way up from the Lower division, PuckChamp have stalled a bit against the stiffer competition. It’s certainly possible I am ranking them too low, considering their losses have come at the hands of the three best teams in the region; however, of all the teams competing in the Pinnacle Cup, PuckChamp have the players with the least competitive experience and it’s hard to tell with a younger team how much recent results will affect their confidence going forward. PuckChamp are still a dangerous team but one with some questions hanging over them.
9. Chicken Fighters
Chicken Fighters have had a rough season so far. After being relegated to the Lower division following an eighth-place finish, Chicken Fighters were dropped by their organisation and forced to rebrand. Despite sporting new colours, their results have been a bit too similar to last season. Chicken Fighters is a team with a huge amount of competitive experience on their roster but most of this experience has been just below the tier-one level of competition.
This is also a team that may decide to focus more on the DPC since they are fighting for a shot at promotion back into the Upper division. Chicken Fighters are a veteran team to look out for but it’s hard to put high expectations on them.
10. EXTREMUM
Oddly, we have a DPC Upper division team in the 10th spot of our Power Rankings. Though perhaps a bit harshly judged on their recent results, EXTREMUM have not looked great in season two of the DPC. Like most of the teams playing in the Pinnacle Cup, EXTREMUM has a good deal of competitive experience on their roster and players who know how to win. However, their performance of late has been very inconsistent and the recent shift in the Hero meta could also be playing a role in their struggles. Regardless of their low ranking though, EXTREMUM is a team that could surprise.
That’s it for my initial thoughts on the teams competing in the Pinnacle Cup - Dota. It is shaping up to be an exciting few weeks of Dota 2 action. With $100,000 on the line and a roster of teams who are intimately familiar with each other, the games should be very competitive across the board.
Watch the Pinnacle Cup - Dota here.
