Position	Player	Most played heroes (recent patches)
Carry	Ditya Ra
Mid	Dendi
Offlane	GeneRaL
Support	SoNNeikO
Support	Artstyle

While it’s understandable that fans are going crazy for the return of superstar Dendi, the humble, DendiFaced assassin is getting pretty tired of all the attention he is currently getting while the rest of his teammates fly under the radar. An attitude like that might just be the reason we are witnessing Na’Vi’s rise back to power. The difference between player’s abilities in the pro scene is getting slimmer and slimmer from year to year, so team play and strategy trumps all. And now that Na’Vi are finally enjoying a stable roster and new found camaraderie, the boys in yellow and black are back in business.

There is no denying the appeal of Dendi, but the performances from GeneRaL, Ditya Ra and SoNNeikO have been downright spectacular as of late. All three of them are boasting heroes with +75% winrate in pro games – Beastmaster, Lycan and Vengeful Spirit respectively. Thanks to Artstyle’s drafting, each and every player is enjoying time on some of their favorite and strongest heroes, including the draft king’s very own Chen and Enchantress. And it’s hard for their opponents to push such a versatile team out of their comfort zone during the draft. So you can expect to see their tried and true, aggressive style unleashed at ESL One Frankfurt, as Na’Vi are out to prove that their are well and truly back!

Recent performances

With not too many stand out performances as of late, Na’Vi came in as one of the underdogs at the Manila Major. But after they completely blew their group out of the water with 2-0 victories over Secret and DC, there was no stopping the hype train anymore. Can they keep it rolling and secure their first ever ESL One trophy?

Record over last 3 months: 44-33

Recent tournament results

• WePlay Dota 2 League Season 3: 5th-6th place
• DreamLeague Season 5: 2nd place
• Manila Major: 7th-8th place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

We were fortunate to watch so many ESL One Frankfurt matchups at the Manila Major and Na’Vi themselves had their fair share of them. In the one and only El Clásico against Alliance, Na’Vi managed to drop a resounding 2-0 victory. Unfortunately their next opponents, Team Liquid, did the same thing to them. Will we see Na’Vi take revenge on the blue horses at ESL One Frankfurt?

Vega Squadron

• 2-0 at ESL One Manila qualifiers
• 2-0 at Dota Pit League Season 4 qualifiers

Liquid

• 0-2 at Manila Major

Alliance

• 2-1 at Manila Major

OG

• 2-1 at StarLadder i-League Invitational
• 1-2 at DreamLeague Season 5
• 0-3 at DreamLeague Season 5
• 0-2 at Manila Major

Catch Na’Vi live at ESL One Frankfurt!

As ESL One regulars, Na’Vi now have another shot at lifting their first ESL One trophy. Is 2016 their year?

Read up on the teams by checking out our ESL One Frankfurt previews:

• Alliance’s quest for their first ESL One trophy continues in Frankfurt
• Team Liquid are the team to beat at ESL One Frankfurt
• Can OG secure themselves another trophy on German soil at ESL One Frankfurt?
• compLexity looking to lift their first piece of silverware at ESL One Frankfurt
• Fourth time’s the charm? Fnatic are ready for ESL One Frankfurt!
• Is another ESL One title on the cards for Vega Squadron in Frankfurt?

Make sure to follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and updates regarding ESL One Frankfurt.

Position	Player	Most played heroes (patch 6.87)
Carry	fn
Mid	No[o]ne
Offlane	Mag~
Support	Solo
Support	CemaTheSlayeR

Vega Squadron have had their ups and down as of late. After winning ESL One New York 2015 and going to the Frankfurt Major, the team has missed out on the last two majors in Shanghai and Manila. Somewhat surprising considering the squad didn’t undergo any major shake-ups, only switching out 9pashaebashu for fn back in March. But on a positive note, now it’s the best time to get back in form with TI6 around the corner and the fact that Vega came first in the European Qualifier ahead of a number of Manila Major teams speaks volumes.

On top of that, the other seven ESL One Frankfurt teams will have to make the long journey to Europe in the wake of the grueling Manila Major while Vega will have all the time in the world to prepare and analyse their opponents as they reveal strats in Manila. Their opponents will barely have any time to study Vega’s strategies on the other hand, which will be a huge advantage for the sharks. Surely they will look to grab this opportunity by the horns in order to impress the fans and most of all Valve, as Gaben & Co. figure out the TI6 invite and qualifier situation.

Recent performances

While some of the other ESL One Frankfurt teams enjoyed their fair share of direct invites to recent tournaments, Vega have been playing qualifier after qualifier. They have already racked up 50 games played on patch 6.87, more than any of the other participants. Will the extended amount of practice pay off in Frankfurt?

Record over last 3 months: 39-41

Record on patch 6.87: 25-25

Recent tournament results

• StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4: 5th-6th place
• Captain’s Draft 3.0: 2nd place
• WePlay Dota 2 League Season 3: 2nd place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

Vega might not have had the chance to prove themselves at some of the latest major tournaments, but nonetheless they match up quite well with the other invitees, boasting winning records against Liquid, coL and Alliance. Of course you have to take results like the Captain’s Draft 3.0 with a grain of salt due to the format, but what you can take away from this is that Vega are no pushover. Underestimate them at your own risk!

Team Liquid

• 0-1 at StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4
• 2-0 at Captain’s Draft 3.0

compLexity

• 1-0 at StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4

Alliance

• 2-0 at Captain’s Draft 3.0
• 2-0 at Captain’s Draft 3.0

See Vega Squadron live at ESL One Frankfurt!

Can Vega be the first two-time ESL One winners? We’re hyped to find out what they have in store for us at ESL One Frankfurt.

Prepare yourself for the Frankfurt by checking out our other team previews:

• Alliance’s quest for their first ESL One trophy continues in Frankfurt
• Team Liquid are the team to beat at ESL One Frankfurt
• Can OG secure themselves another trophy on German soil at ESL One Frankfurt?
• compLexity looking to lift their first piece of silverware at ESL One Frankfurt
• Fourth time’s the charm? Fnatic are ready for ESL One Frankfurt!

Make sure to follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and updates regarding ESL One Frankfurt.

Position	Player	Most played heroes (patch 6.87)
Carry	Mushi
Mid	MidOne
Offlane	Ohaiyo
Support	DJ
Support	343

In recent times, Fnatic have been known to shuffle their player positions around a lot. Mushi has played pretty much everywhere over the course of the last months, while DJ, one of the world’s most notorious offlaners, has been utilized as the role four support in the latest iteration of the team. And it has to be said, he has not lost a step. The potential to be flashy in this position is a little lower for the brilliant Filipino, but it’s not stopping him from putting in top tier performances day in and day out.

All in all, Fnatic are looking like a well oiled machine at the moment. After their choice to part ways with their carry player Net, Mushi has moved to the safe lane, leaving his famed mid lane in the hands of MidOne. And if you’re wondering how a team can do so well if they don’t put players like DJ and Mushi in their natural habitat, it’s because Ohaiyo and MidOne are more than ample role replacements. For MidOne it’s in the name really, I mean c’mon. How could this not work in combination with 343’s great drafting? You tell us, because Fnatic have a really great shot right now at taking home their first ESL One trophy.

Recent performances

Out of all the teams, Fnatic have been playing the most games lately, by far! Almost 100 games over the last three months is a really taxing schedule, even if a large amount of them were against weaker opposition in the SEA region. They have yet to take the final step against international competition, but if their Shanghai Major performance was any indicator, you’d do well not to underestimate them.

Record over last 3 months: 74-20

Record on patch 6.87: 14-6

Recent tournament results

• StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4: 7th-12th place
• Shanghai Major: 5th-6th place
• ESL One Manila: 3rd-4th place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

Judging by Fnatic’s consistently improving performances at recent tournaments, we’re bound to see them come second at the Manila Major only to lift the ESL One trophy in Frankfurt. It’s only logical right? Well, we’ll have to see about that, considering they will have to face a few teams they haven’t been able to beat lately. But on a good day you can expect Fnatic to take a series off anybody, so don’t be surprised if you see them go all the way in Frankfurt.

LGD

• 0-1 at StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4

compLexity

• 1-2 at Epicenter Wildcard qualifier

Alliance

• 0-1 at StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4
• 0-2 at Shanghai Major

Na’Vi

• 1-0 at StarLadder Season 13 & i-League Season 4

OG

• 2-1 at Shanghai Major

See Fnatic live at ESL One Frankfurt!

Can Fnatic climb to the very top? We’re excited to have them represent the SEA region at ESL One Frankfurt 2016!

Prepare yourself for the Frankfurt by checking out our other team previews:

• Alliance’s quest for their first ESL One trophy continues in Frankfurt
• Team Liquid are the team to beat at ESL One Frankfurt
• Can OG secure themselves another trophy on German soil at ESL One Frankfurt?
• compLexity looking to lift their first piece of silverware at ESL One Frankfurt

And don’t forget to follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and updates regarding ESL One Frankfurt.

ESL: Hey there MATUMBAMAN and first off congratulations on your victory at Epicenter. How is the team feeling, now that you guys finally secured yourself a trophy at a premier event?
MATUMBAMAN: It is a huge relief knowing that you are capable of going all the way. On the other hand we are a target now and we need to work harder to win.

ESL: You have been traveling around a lot for recent tournaments, playing in venues all over the globe. Is there any sense of fatigue when it comes to tournaments or have you figured out how to balance tournaments, practice and travel?
M: For me fatigue kicks in when we spend a lot of time abroad, traveling from tournament to tournament. It’s hard to give your all, a couple of tourneys in a row. I eat steaks – makes me feel good again

ESL: After recent performances, many players, personalities and fans are touting Liquid as the strongest team at the moment. How do you see yourselves?
M: We are the best obviously, come at us!

ESL: The team as a whole seems to be able to play a variety of playstyles at the highest level, but your versatility stood out to us. In the previous patch you’ve been handling a lot of Gyro, Ursa and Anti-Mage and now with 6.87 we’re seeing you on Lone Druid, Lycan and Juggernaut. How do you manage keep such a wide hero pool at the highest level? Surely you can’t be practising all the carries all the time?
M: Confidence. A confident player can do anything he desires if he has the skills. I mean let’s be real here, my teammates are awesome and all I need to do is hit some creeps.

ESL: You will be up against seven other teams in Frankfurt and neither of which has managed to beat you in the recent months. How are you gonna prepare for the tournament, considering every team will be trying to figure out how to best you?
M: With the power of Deutschland Bratwurst, I am sure we’ll edge out just enough.

ESL: At ESL One Manila you were caught off guard by Wings Gaming in the grand finals and at ESL One Frankfurt there are a few teams who you haven’t played in quite a while. Is there any particular team that you would single out as your main threat?
M: If I had to pick, it would be LGD. But team strengths are still a big question mark overall, so you can not underestimate anyone.

ESL: You’re part of one of the few rosters that has not been shaken by player transfers for quite a while, suggesting that the team dynamic must be pretty great. Do you guys do anything else together as a group aside from scrimming and other Dota related stuff?
M: Besides talking shit and drinking soda? I mean… ye, I pretty much got it all covered.

ESL: Given how little time there is between the Manila Major and ESL One Frankfurt, how are you planning to prepare for Germany?
M: We’re gonna take some time off in Germany and refresh our minds.

ESL: What are you most looking forward to at ESL One Frankfurt?
M: German fans and beer, mostly beer.

ESL: Thanks for chatting with us and good luck at the event! Do you have any shoutouts you’d like to make?
M: Thanks based Team Liquid, looking forward to Deutschland.

Be sure to follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook to get notifications about the latest news articles and updates regarding ESL One Frankfurt 2016.

Position	Player	Most played heroes (patch 6.87)
Carry	Chessie
Mid	Limmp
Offlane	swindlezz
Support	Zfreek
Support	Handsken

Looking at the NA scene at the moment, it would be fair to say that compLexity are on top of it all, with both Evil Geniuses and Team Secret adjusting to their newly formed squads and Digital Chaos only recently qualifying for major tournaments. While their NA competitors are taking their time to get the ball rolling, compLexity have been playing in just about every qualifier out there and they have been winning them all. Hard work pays off for the team that opted not to make any rash roster changes ahead of the Manila Major. As swindlezz said a in a recent interview, the teams that have played together for a while are getting stronger now. Just look at the likes of Liquid, Alliance and OG – compLexity fit right in. And we’ll see them all at ESL One Frankfurt.

Recent performances

compLexity have not had their big break-through just yet, but while other teams do miss out on a tournament here and there, coL have been ever present at recent major tournaments. And one of the major talking points regarding their recent play must be their thrilling 2-0 victory over Evil Geniuses at Epicenter. Do we sense a change of powers at the top of the NA scene?

Record over last 3 months: 45-32

Record on patch 6.87: 19-13

Recent tournament results

• Shanghai Major: 5th-6th place
• Dota Pit Season 4: 3rd place
• ESL One Manila: 5th-6th place
• Epicenter: 4th place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

Out of all ESL One Frankfurt contestants, they have played the most games in recent months and they will certainly not be caught off guard in Frankfurt. Therefore they have already gotten the chance to test themselves against many of their Frankfurt opponents, potentially allowing them to come into the tournament with more insight than some of the other squads. But just like the rest of the Dota 2 scene, they are still looking for a way to challenge Team Liquid, who will certainly come into the tournament as the favorites to win it all.

Liquid

• 1-2 at Epicenter
• 0-2 at Shanghai Major

LGD

• 1-0 at Shanghai Major

Fnatic

• 2-1 at Epicenter Wildcard qualifier

Alliance

• 0-2 at Epicenter
• 2-1 at Shanghai Major

See compLexity live at ESL One Frankfurt!

Can compLexity overcome the last hurdle and lift their first ESL One trophy in Frankfurt? We can’t wait to see them at their second consecutive ESL One event.

You can also read up on our other team previews here:

• Alliance’s quest for their first ESL One trophy continues in Frankfurt
• Team Liquid are the team to beat at ESL One Frankfurt
• Can OG secure themselves another trophy on German soil at ESL One Frankfurt?

Be sure to keep in touch via our ESL Dota 2 channels on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and updates regarding ESL One Frankfurt.

Position	Player	Most played heroes (patch 6.87)
Carry	BigDaddy
Mid	Miracle-
Offlane	MoonMeander
Support	Cr1t-
Support	Fly

First and foremost, it has to be said Miracle’s hero pool simply cannot be represented in our table. In the 24 games he has played on patch 6.87 he has gone through a staggering total of 15 different heroes, leaving Invoker as his most played hero with a mere three games played. We can easily sum this up with – nobody knows what to expect from OG’s midlaner. His versatility is just out of this world and his 9k MMR is most definitely not just for show. What makes this even worse for OG’s opponents, is that while all the spotlight is constantly being cast on him, the rest of the team almost flies under the radar.

And the team is much more than just “Miracle + 4”. The young mid prodigy often transitions to the position one role over the course of a game, but it starts with the drafts that allow him to snowball out of control to his heart’s content. Fly has established himself as one of the premier drafters in the scene and it must be a treat for him to draft for OG, a team that just screams versatility when it comes to in game roles and hero choices. On top of that, he is currently being regarded as one of the – if not THE best – Phoenix players, forcing his opponents into even tougher ban choices right off the bat.

Recent performances

After their incredible success at the Frankfurt Major, OG enjoyed the privilege of being directly invited to most major tournaments out there. And while they showed the potential to take a series off any team on a good day, they couldn’t quite replicate their marvelous Frankfurt performance, aside from victories during the last two DreamLeague seasons. It will certainly be easier to judge their full strength after seeing them battle at the Manila Major just ahead of ESL One Frankfurt 2016.

Record over last 3 months: 30-20

Record on patch 6.87: 15-9

Recent tournament results

• Shanghai Major: 7th-8th place
• Epicenter: 3rd place
• DreamLeague Season 5: 1st place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

As the statistics show, OG can match up against anyone. And luckily for them, they’ve also recently gotten the chance to play against almost every one of their future ESL One Frankfurt opponents. Liquid still have all the makings of an endboss, even for OG, but lots can change in the wake of the Manila Major and knowing them, all Dota fans are in for a treat.

Liquid

• 1-2 at Epicenter
• 0-2 at Epicenter

LGD

• 2-1 at Shanghai Major

Fnatic

• 1-2 at Shanghai Major

Na’Vi

• 1-2 at StarLadder i-League Invitational

Alliance

• 2-1 at StarLadder i-League Invitational
• 2-0 at Epicenter
• 2-0 at Epicenter

Catch OG live in Frankfurt!

Judging by their last trip to Frankfurt for the Frankfurt Major, the city suits OG just fine. Can OG win another trophy in Germany?

You can check out our previous team preview here:

• Alliance’s quest for their first ESL One trophy continues in Frankfurt
• Team Liquid are the team to beat at ESL One Frankfurt

And as always, follow us on ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date regarding ESL One Frankfurt 2016 and further tournaments.

Position	Player	Most played heroes (patch 6.87)
Carry	MATUMBAMAN
Mid	FATA-
Offlane	MinD_ContRoL
Support	JerAx
Support	KuroKy

From a statistical point of view, Nahaz is already touting Team Liquid as the favorite for the Manila Major and by extent of ESL One Frankfurt. And who can really disagree at the moment? Liquid is performing like a well oiled machine and it all starts with KuroKy’s superior drafts, as Swindlezz pointed out during Liquid’s run at Epicenter. No matter who you ask, they are all in awe of the recent results and specifically the way Liquid handle themselves. There is no one thing that you can point out and counter as every player poses a huge threat to their opponents with their incredible variety when it comes to drafts. The only thing we have to ask ourselves is – what Earth Spirit nerf are you talking about? JerAx clearly didn’t get the memo and it continues to be one of the most successful heroes for the team and should be way up there when it comes to banning priorities. Of course then you will have to let one of the current meta heroes slide through, which is exactly what makes Liquid so dangerous.

Recent performances

Consistency at the highest level is probably the best summary for Team Liquid recently. While other teams fluctuate between flashes of brilliance and mediocre outings, Liquid have been putting in top notch performances in every tournament they participate in. Since the Shanghai Major they have reached the grand final of every major and minor tournament they participated in and are boasting a plus 70% winrate in the last three months. It’s hard not to see them as the final boss at this stage.

• Record over last 3 months: 40-16
• Record on patch 6.87: 11-4
• Recent tournament results
  • Shanghai Major: 2nd place
  • ESL One Manila: 2nd place
  • Epicenter: 1st place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

Unless your name is Team Secret or Wings Gaming, you will have lost all your recent matches against Team Liquid, it’s as simple as that. OG, compLexity and Alliance know that feeling first hand and will surely be working tirelessly on a strategy to break Liquid’s spell of superiority. Teams will have more chances to figure them out ahead of ESL One Frankfurt and we can wait to find out if anyone can outplay our new Dota 2 overlords.

OG

• 2-1 at Epicenter
• 2-0 at Epicenter

compLexity

• 2-0 at Shanghai Major
• 2-1 at Epicenter

Alliance

• 2-1 at Shanghai Major

Watch Team Liquid live in Frankfurt!

Team Liquid are looking to reach another ESL One grand final and this time Wings Gaming won’t be there to stop them. Do you think they can go all the way again?

We already took a closer look at Alliance and we’ll be rolling out more previews as the tournament inches closer. Don’t forget to stay in touch by following ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook.

The team

Position	Player	Most played heroes (patch 6.87)
Carry	Loda
Mid	s4
Offlane	AdmiralBulldog
Support	EGM
Support	Akke

It’s still fairly early in the 6.87 meta and heroes that are played in one week can be forgotten in the next – R.I.P. Mirana. But what’s fair to say is that Phoenix is here to stay and Alliance, much like the rest of the pro teams, have incorporated the balanced Sun Ray distributer amongst their signature Alliance heroes. Looking at the recent [A] drafts overall, many of the players are enjoying time on some of their most renowned heroes like the Bulldog Prophet, s4 Puck and EGM Rubick. And everybody knows what they are capable of when they are in their comfort zone. But the sample size for stats on patch 6.87 is still very limited with Alliance only being involved in one tournament since the patch came out.

Recent performances

As much as fans love to say that Alliance are back, recent results show that there is definitely enough room for improvement. The fact that they were direct invites to all their recent tournaments means that they have only played a total of 31 games over the past three months, while other teams have gotten many more chances to practise and gain valuable LAN experience. Nonetheless, Alliance have shown that they can take games and matches off any team they face, so we are sure to see Alliance in top form at ESL One Frankfurt in the wake of the Manila Major.

• Record over last 3 months: 16-15
• Record on patch 6.87: 5-7
• Recent tournament results
  • Shanghai Major: 7th-8th place
  • StarLadder i-League Invitational: 5th-6th place
  • Epicenter: 5th-6th place

Recent matchups against ESL One Frankfurt teams

Looking at Alliance’s recent performances against their fellow ESL One Frankfurt 2016 contestants makes one thing apparent – OG are their boogeyman. The boys in green have repeatedly put a stop to Alliance’s efforts in past tournaments and it will be interesting to see whether or not the Swedes can cook up a counter by the time Frankfurt comes around.

OG

• 1-2 at StarLadder i-League Invitational
• 0-2 at Epicenter
• 0-2 at Epicenter

Fnatic

• 2-0 at Shanghai Major

compLexity

• 1-2 at Shanghai Major

LGD

• 1-2 at StarLadder i-League Invitational

Witness Alliance in action in Frankfurt!

Alliance have another shot at claiming their first ESL One trophy in Frankfurt this year. Are they ready? Don’t forget that you can find the most recent news and updates regarding ESL One Frankfurt 2016 on the official website.

Alliance are only the first team preview, with more to follow in the coming days and weeks. So make sure keep an eye out for all the latest news and articles by following ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook.