OG lost their streak and NaVi Jr. qualifies for The International 2025

Could it be that the choice to bring in the Void Spirit hero was an error? In the end, it was Team NaVi Junior who dashed OG’s dreams of direct qualification from the Upper Brackets and secured their place at TI 2025 for themselves instead.

In the tournament, OG was performing flawlessly – up until they encountered NaVi Jr. during their qualifier stage for The International 2025. As a team invited directly to the competition, OG began in the Quarterfinals, where they handily defeated Team Secret and 4Pirates (the combination of players who had previously eliminated Virtus.Pro and AVULUS).

Instead of NaVi Jr., they had to work diligently by playing in the Open Qualifiers, facing off against teams like Yellow Submarine, Nigma Galaxy, and 1w. They came close to losing the series against the last two, but managed to squeeze through with narrow victories, eventually reaching the Upper Bracket Finals.

In these outcomes, OG was expected to outperform NaVi Jr. in securing a spot at The International 2025. True to form, they dominated Game 1, but the young underdogs from Eastern Europe had different ambitions. Some questioned if NaVi Jr., with three players aged 19 or 20 and a midlaner only 16, could handle the stress of competition.

This is the story of how four kids made it to their first The International.

Game #1: A 40-minute show of OG dominance

In the initial EUW qualifier game, despite lasting 40 minutes, OG rarely surrendered the upper hand, save for a handful of team fights. They selected an exceptional Naga Siren, which is one of the rare heroes that can counter Terrorblade effectively, and introduced an unexpected pick in Undying for their offlane role, adding some spice to the meta strategy.

During a particular phase, Mihajlo “MikSa`” Jovanovic’s character, Undying, almost hit 10,000 health points due to the effective use of Decrepify. In response, Terrorblade, controlled by an opponent, attempted to counter with Sunder but failed. In the decisive battle, Taras “gotthejuice” Linnikov repeatedly used Sunder on Undying, but the character persisted in taking damage and recovering health throughout. It was then that the “GG” (Good Game) was declared – OG was just one victory away from thwarting NaVi’s aspirations.

Game #2: The start of the carry Void Spirit saga

Initially, OG displayed a sense of assurance in their approach, which was evident in their selection. During Game 2, NaVi Jr. chose Timbersaw and Shadow Shaman, yet OG persisted with Void Spirit, a character less susceptible to counters from both.

In my perspective, they paired Jakiro and Shadow Fiend as their supportive duo. Without flawless execution of their combo, OG struggled to manage Timbersaw in team fights. They attempted a lane swap with Lina to catch the opposition off guard. Going carry with Void Spirit isn’t popular in the current meta, and facing Timbersaw mid would have been a deadly mistake. Lina alleviated the laning problem, but only for a short while.

After Timbersaw departed from the mid lane, it was one kill following another for Navi Junior. OG soon recognized that their draft strategy wasn’t able to match the pace of the game. With a lopsided score of 21-2 before the 30-minute mark, they were forced to concede defeat.

Game #3: NaVi Jr. qualifies for The International 2025

Although Baqyt “Zayac” Emiljanov may appear young, he exhibits a wealth of experience. Remaining calm and composed, he approached Game 3 with a strategic plan in hand. On the other hand, OG seemed flustered. Despite Johan “N0tail” Sundstein’s attempts to coach them back on track, they failed to regain their composure.

In the drafting phase of the game, OG chose Timbersaw as a comfortable hero for MikSa`. However, NaVi Jr. countered with strong single-target control heroes like Batrider, Ember Spirit, and Gyrocopter. The difference between the two teams was stark. To make matters worse, OG respect-banned heroes they had already countered, which led them to pick carry Void Spirit again. Unfortunately for them, this hero didn’t perform well and was quickly shut down after the lanes ended.

Regrettably, the game fell flat for On-Guard supporters as NaVi Junior once more dominated the competition, securing their position as the initial qualifiers for The International 2025 from Western Europe with another convincing victory.

What’s next for OG?

Regrettably having suffered a setback, OG’s tournament journey continues. Their upcoming game will be against whichever team emerges victorious from the match between Yellow Submarine and Nigma Galaxy. This encounter represents their last opportunity to secure one of the open slots for The International.

The current OG lineup is quite fresh, having been assembled in May, and they’ve only participated in two other qualifiers together. Nevertheless, they demonstrate a strong performance and have a promising chance to attend their first LAN event as a team. This recent defeat doesn’t necessarily indicate weakness. In fact, it’s worth noting that they managed to overcome Team Falcons, one of the top-ranked teams globally.

2025 TI Closed Qualifiers are almost wrapped up! Catch a summary of the entire tournament bracket and remember to keep an eye on our Dota 2 section for the most recent news.

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2025-06-18 00:23