The field for The Lima Major remains genuinely open
Across six regions of the world, professional Dota 2 teams are engaged in the ancient ritual of qualification — the proving ground that separates ambition from arrival. Peru, for the first time in the history of Valve's official circuit, will host The Lima Major from February 22 through March 5, 2023, drawing the strongest regional survivors to compete on South American soil. What unfolds now in weekly matches is not merely sport, but the slow revelation of which organizations have built something durable enough to matter when the stakes are highest.
- Peru's first official Valve Dota 2 Major looms as a historic milestone, and the pressure to qualify is reshaping regional hierarchies in real time.
- Established powerhouses like Fnatic, PSG.LGD, and Team Secret are stumbling while lesser-known squads seize the qualification slots they once considered their birthright.
- Team Aster has already punched its ticket from China with five dominant series wins, while Team Liquid edges toward early confirmation in Western Europe — two anchors in an otherwise turbulent field.
- In South America, Beastcoast and Evil Geniuses lead the race to represent their home continent, with Peruvian players Timado and MoOz competing in North America, adding a personal dimension to the regional drama.
- With one to three weeks of matches remaining across all regions, the bracket for Lima is still genuinely unwritten — upsets remain mathematically alive in nearly every division.
The Dota Pro Circuit's first tour of 2023 is halfway through its regional run, and the contours of The Lima Major — Peru's first official Valve-sanctioned Dota 2 tournament, scheduled for February 22 through March 5 — are beginning to take shape. Across six regions, teams are competing for a finite number of qualification slots, and the standings reveal a story of unexpected leaders and struggling giants.
In South America, Beastcoast holds an undefeated record across four series, with Evil Geniuses close behind at three wins. The true hierarchy between them remains unsettled, and Keyd Stars, Thunder Awaken, and Alliance.LATAM still have time to complicate the picture. North America is similarly stratified, with Shopify Rebellion and TSM — the latter featuring Peruvian player Timado — leading the standings, while 5RATFORCESTAFF, Nouns, and Wildcard Gaming remain within striking distance.
Southeast Asia has delivered the tournament's most surprising subplot: storied organizations like Fnatic, BOOM Esports, and Talon Esports find themselves in precarious positions, while Execration, Geek Slate, and Blacklist International currently hold the three available berths with one week remaining. China, by contrast, has already produced a confirmed qualifier — Team Aster clinched its Lima Major spot with five series victories, though the remaining three Chinese slots are fiercely contested among Knights, PSG.LGD, Xtreme Gaming, EHOME, and Invictus Gaming.
Eastern Europe remains the most genuinely open contest, with BetBoom Team, HellRaisers, and Team Spirit in qualification position but two full weeks of matches still ahead. In Western Europe, Team Liquid appears headed toward early confirmation alongside Aster, with Gaming Gladiators, OG, and Tundra Esports currently filling the remaining spots — though Entity has not been eliminated, and Team Secret, Nigma Galaxy, and Into the Breach have largely been consigned to relegation battles.
The field for Lima is still being written. For Peru, the tournament represents a landmark moment in the country's esports history; for the teams still competing, every series carries the weight of a journey that ends — or begins — in South America.
The Dota Pro Circuit's first tour of 2023 is halfway through its run across six regions, and the shape of The Lima Major is beginning to emerge from the noise of weekly matches. Peru will host the tournament from February 22 through March 5—the first official Valve-sanctioned Dota 2 event on Peruvian soil and one of the three most consequential competitions on the path to The International 2023. The regional tournaments unfolding right now will determine which teams earn the right to compete there.
In South America, two squads have separated themselves from the field. Beastcoast carries an undefeated record across four series, while Evil Geniuses has won three. The gap between them remains unclear because Beastcoast has played more matches, leaving the true hierarchy unsettled. Behind them, Keyd Stars, Thunder Awaken, and Alliance.LATAM still have time to disrupt the expected order and claim one of the two South American slots. At the bottom, Infinity, Infamous, and Ravens appear destined for relegation rather than Lima.
North America presents a similar picture of partial clarity. Shopify Rebellion, built from former Evil Geniuses players, and TSM—which includes Peruvian player Timado in its roster—sit atop the standings and look positioned for qualification. Yet 5RATFORCESTAFF, Nouns, and Wildcard Gaming remain close enough to mount challenges. Truth Gaming, ALPHA, and B8, where another Peruvian competitor named MoOz plays, occupy the lower reaches of the table.
Southeast Asia has delivered an unexpected twist. The region's most storied organizations—BOOM Esports, Talon Esports, and especially Fnatic—find themselves in precarious positions. Execration, Geek Slate, and Blacklist International currently hold the three available spots, though one week of matches remains. Bleed Esports lurks in fourth place, close enough to threaten the current qualifiers, and Talon Esports, despite its struggles, has not yet been mathematically eliminated.
China has already produced its first confirmed qualifier. Team Aster clinched a Lima Major berth with five series victories, demonstrating the ruthless consistency that has long defined the region's dominance in professional Dota. The remaining three Chinese spots remain contested among Knights, PSG.LGD, Xtreme Gaming, EHOME, and Invictus Gaming—all clustered tightly in the standings with one week left to play. The fourth week of matches will determine which of these heavyweights makes the journey to Peru.
Eastern Europe's tournament remains genuinely unsettled. BetBoom Team, HellRaisers, and Team Spirit currently occupy the three qualification slots, but two days remain in the second week and an entire third week looms ahead. Darkside, Virtus.Pro, and Natus Vincere could still force their way in, and even teams fighting relegation like Nemiga Gaming and One Move retain mathematical hope given the volume of matches still to be played.
Western Europe has produced one near-certain qualifier in Team Liquid, which appears headed toward joining China's Team Aster as early confirmations. The four teams currently positioned for Lima are Team Liquid, Gaming Gladiators, OG, and Tundra Esports, though Entity retains the mathematical possibility of disruption. Team Secret, Nigma Galaxy, and Into the Breach have effectively been relegated to fighting for survival in the second division.
With weeks of competition remaining across all six regions, the field for The Lima Major remains genuinely open. The tournament will draw the strongest teams from each region to compete on Peruvian soil—a milestone for esports in the country and a crucial stepping stone for teams aiming at The International.
Citas Notables
The Lima Major is one of the three most consequential competitions on the path to The International 2023— Tournament structure and significance
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that these regional tournaments are happening right now, in January?
Because the teams that finish highest in these six tournaments earn the right to compete in Lima. It's a gatekeeping mechanism. You have to prove yourself regionally first.
And The Lima Major itself—how important is it in the larger calendar?
It's one of three major tournaments before The International. The International is the world championship. So if you want to be taken seriously as a contender, you need to perform well in Lima.
I noticed that some famous teams are struggling—Fnatic, PSG.LGD. How does that happen?
The meta shifts. New strategies emerge. Teams that dominated last year sometimes can't adapt fast enough. It's humbling, but it happens every season.
Team Aster has already qualified from China. What does that tell us?
That China is still the deepest region. One team can lock in qualification while five others are still fighting for the remaining spots. The talent density there is just different.
What about the Peruvian players—Timado and MoOz? Are they likely to make it?
Timado's on TSM, which is leading North America, so he has a real shot. MoOz is on B8, which is struggling. His path is much harder.
If you had to guess right now, which region will send the strongest teams to Lima?
China, without question. But South America has closed the gap more than anyone expected. Beastcoast and Evil Geniuses are genuinely competitive at a world level.