Aurora, the only Southeast Asian (SEA) team in DreamLeague Season 22, has been eliminated from the tournament after failing to win a single series in Group Stage 2. The team, which had qualified for the event by defeating Team Darleng in the SEA qualifiers, could not replicate its performance against the stronger European teams.
Aurora started its campaign with a 0-2 loss to Shopify Rebellion, followed by a 1-2 defeat to Team Spirit. The team then faced Gaimin Gladiators, who had also lost their first two series, but could not overcome them either, losing 0-2. Aurora’s hopes of making it to the playoffs were fading fast, as it needed to win all of its remaining four series to have a chance.
However, the team’s luck did not improve, as it lost to Xtreme Gaming 0-2, OG 1-2, Team Falcons 0-2, and BetBoom Team 0-2. With zero points and a -12 game difference, Aurora finished at the bottom of the group, while Shopify Rebellion, Team Spirit, and Gaimin Gladiators advanced to the playoffs.
Aurora’s elimination marks the end of SEA’s representation in DreamLeague Season 22, as no other team from the region had qualified for the event. The team’s performance was disappointing, considering that it had shown promise in Group Stage 1, where it had finished third in Group A, behind OG and Team Falcons.
Aurora’s captain, Lorenof, who had stood in for Armel, said that the team was not prepared for the level of competition in Group Stage 2, and that they had made many mistakes in their drafts and execution. He also thanked the fans for their support and apologized for letting them down.
DreamLeague Season 22 is a Tier 1 online European tournament organized by ESL Gaming, with a prize pool of $1,000,000 USD. The playoffs will begin on March 8, 2024, with eight teams competing in a double-elimination bracket. The grand finals will be held on March 10, 2024, with the winner taking home $400,000 USD and 500 Pro Circuit points.