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The preliminary phase of The International 2023 (TI12) Group Stage has concluded with four teams, namely, Team SMG, Thunder Awaken, beastcoast and PSG Quest, eliminated from the competition. With the first round of eliminations, the remaining 16 teams move to Phase 2 of the Group Stage, which will determine the seedings for the main event bracket placements.  

Early heartbreak for South America at TI12

  Phase 1 of the TI12 Group Stage was heartbreaking for South America, especially its passionate fans. Two stalwarts of the South American Dota circuit, beastcoast and Thunder Awaken performed poorly and were eliminated. However, that's not all. The remaining two South American teams, Evil Geniuses and Keyd Stars aren't performing well either. A region that rejoiced on getting four slots for The International 2023, now sees itself languishing for survival. The fans hope that EG and KS secure an upper-bracket seeding in the next phase.  

Europe and China reign supreme at TI12

  The European region is way ahead of its competition, as evident from the strong placing in phase 1 of the group stage. Team Spirit (East Europe), Team Liquid (West Europe) and Tundra Esports (West Europe) topped their respective groups. LGD Gaming (China), on the other hand, topped Group C with Gaimin Gladiators, the multiple majors winner, placing second. Overall, Europe looks well-poised to have a firm grip and understanding of the current meta. In the meantime, TSM (North America) performed better than expected but Shopify Rebellion didn't live up to its potential. Talon Esports is the only SEA representative carrying on the hopes for its region at TI12. Surprisingly, nouns have been the team to watch so far -- the true dark horse in the real sense. Phase 2 of the TI12 group stage begins in less than 13 hours and teams will give their best to inch closer to the sizeable chunk of the $3 million prize pool and the title of the World Champions.

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Featured image via ESL. We will be covering The International 2023 (TI12) closely throughout the next few weeks. Keep an eye on our Dota 2 directory for more content like this.