PGL Wallachia Day 1 Recap: Nouns Upset Azure Ray; Nine Is Back
Dota 2 action is finally back, as PGL Wallachia Season 1 is underway. The tournament uses a Swiss Stage format for its Group Stage, a system used in the first round of the Elite League. The day brought exhilarating results, as many teams played with new rosters or with substitute players. Here is a recap of the most exciting results of Day 1!
The day started with a thrilling series between Azure Ray and Nouns. The Chinese squad was not even supposed to be in the tournament but came in as a last-minute replacement for Blacklist International. Meanwhile, Nouns entered this tournament with their new mid player, Copy.
The two teams traded maps, and Game 3 turned out to be a 94-minute game. Nouns had complete control over the entire game, but Azure Ray’s Techies lineup prevented the North American roster from sieging the high ground. After many back-and-forth fights and rat attempts, Nouns eventually closed the game after an hour and a half to win the series.
Shopify Rebellion, fielding two TI-winning stand-ins, failed to defeat the BetBoom Team. The first game was a total stomp in favor of the Eastern European giants. However, the second game was incredibly entertaining. After a handful of net worth swings and Divine Rapiers, the BetBoom Team’s scaling lineup emerged victorious, denying GH his first official win in months.
Another new roster to look out for is Virtus.pro, recently adding Antares to the lineup. They had to face their elder brothers, Team Spirit, in their debut match. Unfortunately, things did not change, as Team Spirit could easily win the series 2-0.
Former Tundra Esports mid player, Nine, played his first official game since last year with Team Falcons. Though he was very rusty from his extended break, the German played on par with the ESL One Birmingham 2024 winners to defeat Heroic 2-0.
Current Group Stage results after Day 1:
PGL Wallachia Season 1 is a $1,000,000 offline tournament hosted in Romania. Sixteen teams are placed in a Swiss Stage format. The top eight teams will advance to the Playoffs, while the remaining eight will face elimination.