Virtus.Pro wins The Kuala Lumpur Major

Virtus.Pro won The Kuala Lumpur Major in a thrilling 5 game series against Team Secret in the Grand Finals. They continued where they left off last season, at the top of the DPC standings.

Evil Geniuses vs Virtus.Pro

Everything was on this series for these two teams. Only one team can advance two the Grand Finals where Secret await. For Game 1, EG picked the Terrorblade that they utilize so well throughout the tournament while VP picked the Invoker. Unlike their previous game, VP’s Invoker delivered kill after kill in the early game. Using the Invoker, VP dominated the early to mid-game. Their dominance continued till the end to the point where the Russians could freely dive the fountain shortly before EG conceded Game 1.

With their backs against the wall, EG picked a rarely seen Juggernaut while VP took the Spectre again along with the Monkey King. EG had a more tempo controlling lineup this time but it was VP that was controlling the tempo. Virtus Pro did not take their foot of the gas and once again dominated EG. Virtus Pro took the series 2-0 to secure their spot in the Grand Finals.

Team Secret vs Virtus.Pro

The Grand Finals is the rematch of the Upper Bracket Finals. Secret were the victors in their previous meeting in a back and forth 2-1 victory. For Game 1, Secret took a chance with a core Shadow Shaman, a hero typically picked as a support, while Virtus.Pro tried a lineup without a hard carry. The draft backfired for Secret as VP took Game 1 with their superior teamfight potential. However, Secret struck back in Game 2. They picked a surprise Broodmother as their last pick, ruining Virtus.Pro’s strategy. Secret took Game 2 in dominating fashion even though VP showed signs of life.

Secret stuck with comfort picks for Game 3 and it paid dividends. YapzOr’s signature Rubick was key to their victory as he made play after play against VP. They claimed Game 3 after VP conceded following their failed attempt at killing Nisha’s Phantom Lancer in the final fight. Game 4 became a ‘go big or go home’ situation for Virtus.Pro. Despite having the enormous pressure, they remained calm as they managed to keep Nisha’s Morphling quiet in Game 4. Ramzes’ Terrorblade became too big of an issue for Secret and VP took Game 4.

Game 5 had a very different draft compared to the previous 4 games. Secret took the Timbersaw, an uncommon hero these days, while VP took the Crystal Maiden and Magnus. VP also stuck with the Terrorblade for a third game in a row. It started with a relatively even game as both teams traded kills. A successful teamfight outside the Rosh pit gave VP the lead and momentum. Midone’s Timbersaw did not take off like expected as VP managed to stall his progress. Once again, the Terrorblade became a big problem for Secret. Along with the Dragon Knight, both heroes destroyed Team Secret’s base. Virtus.Pro took Game 5 and won The Kuala Lumpur Major after one last fight in Secret’s base.

Tournament Rewards

Champions： 350,000USD(about RM1,465,730) and 4,950 DPC points—Virtus Pro

Runners-up：170,000USD(about RM711,926) and 3,000 DPC points—Team Secret

3rd place：    100,000USD(about RM418,780) and 2,100 DPC points—Evil Geniuses

4th place：     80,000USD(about RM335,024) and 1,350 DPC points—Ninjas in Pyjamas

The next major will take place in China, The Chongqing Major on January 19 2019.On the other hand, the next minor will be The Bucharest Minor on January 9 2019.

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