Dota 2 DPC China Picks, Predictions March 29

• RNG will start as favorites considering they are second with four wins from four
• Vici Gaming are currently in a two-way race for fourth with a 3-4 win-loss record
• Xtreme Gaming desperately looking for rapid and substantial progress

RNG (moneyline)

RNG vs LBZS Predictions

The contests at Dota 2 Pro-Division 1 of China are hotting up. Royal Never Give Up are currently second with an overall 4-0 win-loss record. Their opponents, LBZS, are joint seventh, and are struggling to put together a line-up that can stand up and compete, let alone win.

Now, on Tuesday, it’ll be a battle of two teams at two contrasting ends of the confidence spectrum. There’s likely to be just one winner here, and the odds are stacked heavily against LBZS.

What Makes RNG Tick

RNG have had a successful run through the winter split.

They’d want to sustain that kind of dominance over most of their regional opponents going forward. RNG have had to channel the hurt of the first major of the year being cancelled. It denied them an opportunity to compete at the international level for a long time.

Their star-studded roster is once again itching to go out there and perform. RNG squad didn’t take part in any outside tournaments in January, and that helped them play perfectly against Aster (2-1) in their last DPC league match, helping them finish a creditable third.

The RNG players resisted the PSG.LGD and Aster team well within the DPC. It’s merely a reflection of the strong squad they assembled in the build-up. Renewed RNG started the new DPC cycle 2022 in the elite division, made possible only by their lucky disbanding of the Elephant squad.

As a team, RNG have 19 wins out of 32 in the latest patch of dota-2, amounting to a win percentage of 59.38. For all their proficiency this season, they will want to improve their overall kills to deaths, which nearly cancels out each other at present. They land 24.78 kills on an average along with 24.03 deaths. Their assist rate stands at a more than respectable 54.75. In wins, they take an average of 37 minutes and 24 seconds to complete a map. Overall, their average durations – accounting for both wins and losses – stands at 36.55.

Assembling A Formidable Squad

Failure in 2021 forced the reshuffle of personnel, with them signing three new players and giving them a run at the same time.

The team, compared to last year, still has the Chinese carry God King and the Malaysian foursome FelixCiaoBa, with the addition of the Chinese mid Somnum’M, who just transferred to the Royal Club from the disbanded team Elephant.

Then there’s also the Chinese three Chalice from EHOME and Malaysian five xNova, transferred from the same EHOME squad.

LBZS – A Young Team in Transition

LBZS is a young tier-3 team in China, formed back in late 2020.

They have progressed from the elite level of the Chinese DPC league, but failed to win a single match there, and went straight to the second division. There, they earned the right to reappear in the second DPC league in the season 2021 to face the strongest teams in the region.

Over time, they have had to contend with a slew of changes to their roster, some forced, others tactical. Ahead of the new DPC cycle, they signed four new players at once: Kagome, Pyue, Molasses and detachment.

The only unchanged player is CatYou, who has been with the team for more than a year, or to be more precise, since its formation. It’s amid this churn that they run into a team to try and chart a new path for themselves.

I suppose it tells you why the odds are stacked so heavily against them. A one dollar bet can fetch you nearly eight in return should they win.

Problems of Plenty

LBZS started competing for Tier 2 DPC Championships starting March 2021. The most significant of them is the China Dota 2 Pro Cup which has a prize pool of over $50000. LBZS made quite a name for themselves at the event.

They qualified for the Tier 1 tourney and also competed in the Tier 2 scrims. Most of the rounds happened online due to strict pandemic restrictions. Even though the final rounds were confined to LAN matches. LBZS was also accused of a player swap, but that never happened. The journey of Team Spirit from Tier 2 to The International winners is an ode to that fact.

They manage just 12.17 kills on an average, apart from going for 26.17 deaths. This huge disparity explains why they’ve been so poor. The ratio of 1: 2 does them no favors. The simple essence is this: kills are great, deaths are not so great. The assist rate of 28 is extremely poor

It speaks of their inability to have any control over the map. They lose a map in just 32.05, which shows how they have been stomped over easily.

Vici Gaming vs Xtreme Gaming Pick

Pick: Vici Gaming (moneyline)

Vici Gaming vs Xtreme Gaming Predictions

Vici Gaming are currently in a two-way race for fourth spot with a 3-4 win-loss record. Their opponents Xtreme Gaming are joint second with four wins and a loss. Xtreme hold the edge going into the clash, Vici have the odds stacked against them purely on recent form.

Xtreme Gaming are now in contention for the regional league crown after moving up from Division II in the Winter Tour, alongside Team Magma. And with the constant pressure from other top rosters like PSG.LGD, Team Aster, Royal Never Give Up, China is likely once again the most stacked region from top to bottom in the 2022 DPC—at least when it comes to Division I.

For China, matches across both Division I and Division II will run from March 14 to April 22 in a round-robin format. China, along with Western Europe, gets four invites to the Stockholm Major, which will be held from May 12 to 22 barring any future changes. And Xtreme are well placed to take one of the spots.

Vici Gaming had a middling showing during the Winter Tour and is looking to bounce back, but with Xtreme coming in led by Paparazi, Pyw, and Dy, they will have a hard time cracking the top four as another favorite enters the fray.

Vici’s Numbers Decent but Don’t Stand Out

Vici may have the odds against them, but their record isn’t the worst. Out of 71 maps in the latest patch, they’ve won 40, which translates to a win percentage of 56.34. Their kill rate of 25.37 is quite formidable, with the death rate at 22.77.

Their assist rate of 59.48 points to proficiency in building up towards kills, even if they may not be able to at times nail their execution correctly. Overall, they take 38.55 minutes to finish a map, which points to them keeping the opposition out there longer.

In wins, this number marginally improves but that isn’t a measure of their efficiency. It merely tells us they are a methodical side that builds towards kills, even if it may take them a while. In losses, the map time increases to 39.17

COVID Casts a Shadow Again?

There is speculation over the Chinese Dota Pro Circuit going on pause, with the country entering its strictest lockdown in over two years.

Shanghai has announced a city-wide lockdown, which needs Perfect World, the tournament organiser, to comply with the government regulations.

The regional league is set to officially be paused following the conclusion of matches scheduled to run on Tuesday, with the organisers aiming to resume full operations on April 8.

During this period, mass testing will be conducted within the city, residents will be required to stay at home, and all businesses not deemed essential will be closed, including public transport.

The good thing about the games proceeding until March 29 is both Vici and Xtreme won’t be left hanging, and won’t have to deal with the anxieties that accompany indefinite postponement.

If they can gather their energies in the same direction, the winner will breathe easy going into the forced break.

How to Watch Dota 2 DPC China Division