Nexon Sponsorship League Grand Finals Preview November 9th, 2013 02:40 GMT Text by TheEmulator Graphics by riptide Table of Contents

Grand Finals Preview



Top 5 Reasons to Watch the NSL Finals



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Grand Finals







After weeks of non-stop Korean Dota, the Nexon Sponsorship League finals are finally upon us. If anything, these finals are a milestone. OGN has now run a complete Dota 2 league in Seoul, and it is with that hope that we can look to the future. We don't know how the game will do in Korea, but we do know that we want it to succeed, and not just because success in the E-Sports capital of the world will add years to its lifetime.



As Dota 2 fans, we need the Korean scene to succeed because even in these few short weeks it has pushed boundaries for us, boundaries in the form of production and casting quality. The games themselves may not be up there with top-tier Chinese or European Dota, and yet, we're not too concerned about that. If the NSL comes around again (and we really, really hope it will!), then rest assured that the teams, and the games, will get better.



For now though, let's look to these finals, and these two teams. Let's watch these games and enjoy these moments, for when you reduce these games to their core, what we're watching is actually the advent of pro-Dota 2 in Korea. Years from now, when you look back on the scene, do you want to say that you were there when the birth pangs of the pro scene were casted in extraordinary style? We certainly do, and we hope that this preview will get you psyched for the games to come!





Grand Finals Preview by TheEmulator



The Nexon Sponsorship League has run its full course, with only For Our utopia and Startale left to battle it out in the Grand Finals tonight. Throughout this season both teams have dominated their way through the group stages and the playoffs. fOu has yet to drop a game in NSL, and StarTale has only lost one game if you don't count their forfeit in the Winner's bracket finals. We've seen some great promise from the Korean Dota 2 scene so far, and even though they aren't doing so well in the Super Matches right now the scene is growing and proving that they can provide excellent league production.







The prize is on the line tonight, and it's one of the biggest we have seen not only in Korean Dota 2 but in all of Dota 2. You might look at the prize pool and think it's great, but it doesn't just end there. It was officially announced earlier this week that the winner will advance to the EMS One Fall LAN finals in the final qualifier spot, where they will have a chance to play for another $35,000.











For Our Utopia



For Our Utopia have recently undergone some big changes, which included losing their title sponsor, FXOpen eSports. With that they will be moving back to their old name, fOu. Despite this they have still made the NSL finals without losing a single game, which is an extremely impressive feat. Next week they will have the chance to prove themselves against arguably two of the strongest Dota 2 teams in the world right now, DK and Alliance. If any team can beat them it would probably be fOu, but first they will take on StarTale tonight in the NSL Grand Finals.





StarTale



Formerly known as BirdGang, the brand name sponsor StarTale is well known to the Starcraft and League of Legends communities. Just like fOu, they have finished in the top 4 of almost every tournament they have participated in, including a 2nd place performance in the Fomos Dotanism league, and therefore fully deserve to be in this top tier of the teams going into the Nexon Sponsorship League Grand Finals. Their run was amazing in NSL, despite having to forfeit their WB game.









Top 5 Reasons to Watch the NSL Finals by riptide



#1

Korean casters - There are casters, and then there are casters. You love some, you dislike some, and you get on the forums to qq about some. When you watch the NSL though, you get to see casters that hail from the same culture that brought us this now immortalised incident.







It doesn’t get much better than that! To see how this kind of casting transforms Dota, here is the Korean cast of the longest game in pro-Dota history.







#2

Crazy skill builds - Ever seen a no-Shuriken BH? You just might if you watch these finals. The fact that the Korean pro-scene is in its infancy means that the local meta is very different from the international one, and that results in a lot of weirdness. It won’t be that way forever though, so we suggest you take the chance to go down the rabbit hole while it’s still open. This ain’t Kansas!



#3

OGN hosting a full Dota 2 tournament - We have no problem with other games in our genre, and think it’s fantastic that esports other than Starcraft are getting so big in Korea. But, we do confess that we want to see Dota 2 go big in Korea as well, and this is certainly a first step. While we don’t have the numbers right now, continued international patronage of OGN’s Dota 2 events is a great way to let them know that the world wants Korean Dota too. Load those streams up, boys and girls!



#4

#productionvalue - While we apologise for using a hashtag as a title, but there is no quicker way to sum up what kind of production the NSL has thrown at us over the past few weeks. Although the quality of the Dota itself has some way to go, their production is just miles ahead of anything we have seen in Dota 2 so far. For example, when you see something like this, doesn’t your whole being just cry out for more?







#5

You are on Team Liquid - If you are reading a Dota article on Team Liquid, then two things are certain: you like Dota, and you like TL. We have been inextricably linked to Korea ever since we began our journey as a Starcraft: Brood War coverage website, and when Dota 2 began in Korea we were thrilled! In many ways, the NSL has been a homecoming for many of us, and we’re sure, for many of you too. If you, like us, have strong ties to both Korea and Dota 2, then seeing the first Korean Dota 2 tournament off will certainly be high up on your list of priorities!

















CREDITS

Writers: TheEmulator, riptide

Gfx: riptide

Editors: TheEmulator, riptide

Banner photogrpah via Writers: TheEmulator, riptideGfx: riptideEditors: TheEmulator, riptideBanner photogrpah via Valentin Janiaut

After weeks of non-stop Korean Dota, the Nexon Sponsorship League finals are finally upon us. If anything, these finals are a milestone. OGN has now run a complete Dota 2 league in Seoul, and it is with that hope that we can look to the future. We don't know how the game will do in Korea, but we do know that we want it to succeed, and not just because success in the E-Sports capital of the world will add years to its lifetime.As Dota 2 fans, we need the Korean scene to succeed because even in these few short weeks it has pushed boundaries for us, boundaries in the form of production and casting quality. The games themselves may not be up there with top-tier Chinese or European Dota, and yet, we're not too concerned about that. If the NSL comes around again (and we really, really hope it will!), then rest assured that the teams, and the games, will get better.For now though, let's look to these finals, and these two teams. Let's watch these games and enjoy these moments, for when you reduce these games to their core, what we're watching is actually the advent of pro-Dota 2 in Korea. Years from now, when you look back on the scene, do you want to say that you were there when the birth pangs of the pro scene were casted in extraordinary style? We certainly do, and we hope that this preview will get you psyched for the games to come!The Nexon Sponsorship League has run its full course, with only For Our utopia and Startale left to battle it out in the Grand Finals tonight. Throughout this season both teams have dominated their way through the group stages and the playoffs. fOu has yet to drop a game in NSL, and StarTale has only lost one game if you don't count their forfeit in the Winner's bracket finals. We've seen some great promise from the Korean Dota 2 scene so far, and even though they aren't doing so well in the Super Matches right now the scene is growing and proving that they can provide excellent league production.The prize is on the line tonight, and it's one of the biggest we have seen not only in Korean Dota 2 but in all of Dota 2. You might look at the prize pool and think it's great, but it doesn't just end there. It was officially announced earlier this week that the winner will advance to the EMS One Fall LAN finals in the final qualifier spot, where they will have a chance to play for another $35,000.For Our Utopia have recently undergone some big changes, which included losing their title sponsor, FXOpen eSports. With that they will be moving back to their old name, fOu. Despite this they have still made the NSL finals without losing a single game, which is an extremely impressive feat. Next week they will have the chance to prove themselves against arguably two of the strongest Dota 2 teams in the world right now, DK and Alliance. If any team can beat them it would probably be fOu, but first they will take on StarTale tonight in the NSL Grand Finals.Formerly known as BirdGang, the brand name sponsor StarTale is well known to the Starcraft and League of Legends communities. Just like fOu, they have finished in the top 4 of almost every tournament they have participated in, including a 2nd place performance in the Fomos Dotanism league, and therefore fully deserve to be in this top tier of the teams going into the Nexon Sponsorship League Grand Finals. Their run was amazing in NSL, despite having to forfeit their WB game.Korean casters - There are casters, and then there are casters. You love some, you dislike some, and you get on the forums to qq about some. When you watch the NSL though, you get to see casters that hail from the same culture that brought us this now immortalised incident.It doesn’t get much better than that! To see how this kind of casting transforms Dota, here is the Korean cast of the longest game in pro-Dota history.Crazy skill builds - Ever seen a no-Shuriken BH? You just might if you watch these finals. The fact that the Korean pro-scene is in its infancy means that the local meta is very different from the international one, and that results in a lot of weirdness. It won’t be that way forever though, so we suggest you take the chance to go down the rabbit hole while it’s still open. This ain’t Kansas!OGN hosting a full Dota 2 tournament - We have no problem with other games in our genre, and think it’s fantastic that esports other than Starcraft are getting so big in Korea. But, we do confess that we want to see Dota 2 go big in Korea as well, and this is certainly a first step. While we don’t have the numbers right now, continued international patronage of OGN’s Dota 2 events is a great way to let them know that the world wants Korean Dota too. Load those streams up, boys and girls!#productionvalue - While we apologise for using a hashtag as a title, but there is no quicker way to sum up what kind of production the NSL has thrown at us over the past few weeks. Although the quality of the Dota itself has some way to go, their production is just miles ahead of anything we have seen in Dota 2 so far. For example, when you see something like this, doesn’t your whole being just cry out for more?You are on Team Liquid - If you are reading a Dota article on Team Liquid, then two things are certain: you like Dota, and you like TL. We have been inextricably linked to Korea ever since we began our journey as a Starcraft: Brood War coverage website, and when Dota 2 began in Korea we were thrilled! In many ways, the NSL has been a homecoming for many of us, and we’re sure, for many of you too. If you, like us, have strong ties to both Korea and Dota 2, then seeing the first Korean Dota 2 tournament off will certainly be high up on your list of priorities! Administrator