https://www.cybersport.ru/other/articles/samaya-neobychnaya-pauza-v-matche-po-dota-2-i-neveroyatnye-kambeki-kak-proshel-final-vserossiiskoi-kibersportivnoi-studencheskoi-ligi

For myself and for the university

The format of the eSports student league is different from the Russian Cup. Here, players literally defend the honor of their institution. The prize fund is not divided between the winners in specific disciplines, but between the national teams. Success in a single game gives points to your university in the overall standings, respectively, you need not only to perform with dignity yourself, but also to hope for teammates. It will not work to bet on one discipline – there simply will not be enough points to get into the top three. For example, the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), which we will talk about in detail later, became the champion of the Dota 2 tournament, but was only fourth in the final table.

Such a system motivates universities to equally develop and help participants from all disciplines, and not only from the more popular CS: GO and Dota 2. But the main thing is that this approach unites individual teams of national teams, making them a single team. And this was noticeable in the way the guys from one university cheered for their own people and supported them in between matches. And, of course, this made the struggle between universities more emotionally heated.

Given the fact that the student league was held without fans (even the computer club in Yota Arena was closed to visitors during the tournament), the support of teammates played a special role.

Last Student League

All-Russian eSports student leagues will certainly continue, but not for everyone. Unlike the Russian Cup, which is open to everyone, only students can participate in these competitions. And therefore, for some players, the 2023 tournament was the last one. We talked with one “veteran” of the student league Dmitry Lopatkin – the captain of the MIREA Dota 2 roster, which he has been representing for six years.

Dima, in fact, stood at the origins of the creation of the national team at his institute. Even in his first year, he, together with a classmate, organized Dota 2 and CS: GO rosters. Before him, in MIREA, everything was unimportant with esports. Since then, he has participated in student tournaments all the time. However, this year was the last for him – Dima is finishing his master’s degree, and since he is not going to graduate school, he will no longer be able to represent his native university. However, he can “retire” with a sense of accomplishment: now the esports direction is developed in MIREA, and not only in Dota 2 and CS: GO. At this tournament, the university team took third place in the overall team event, thanks in large part to the victory in the StarCraft II discipline.

Unfortunately, Dima himself, along with his roster, could not complete the six-year path with a victory – the MIREA Dota 2 team became only the fourth, losing twice in the playoffs with a score of 1: 2. However, the team has enough achievements. Dima said that his roster wins almost all Moscow tournaments in which he participates, and two years ago he took third place in the All-Russian eSports student league.

Participation in Dota 2 tournaments did not prevent Dima, who studied in the field of “Software Engineering”, to pass the session and prepare his thesis. Teachers at MIREA, he said, were extremely positive about the success of the national team. Of course, no one bet a slot machine for success in Dota 2, but raising the score a little or simply praising and wishing good luck at the future tournament is no problem. Dima’s parents also support his hobby, however, they do not understand anything about him.

Dima has no plans to tie up with Dota 2 yet. After graduation, he wants to simultaneously play a game and study programming languages, so that later he can decide what to devote himself entirely to. Dima says that due to the fact that he also worked in parallel with his studies, he now has time to take a break and think about the future. However, even though the road to esports is still open for him, it is still sad to say goodbye to the atmosphere of student leagues and the friends he found here.

Seven hours after our interview, Dima took part in the closing ceremony of the student league for the last time, having received the bronze medal of the championship.

Incredible Tournament Finale

I have been to many FCC tournaments, including student leagues. On the latter, the most interesting are usually the events taking place around the games, including such life stories as Dima’s. The matches themselves, due to the fact that it is often still a semi-professional level, were much less attractive. However, this time the tournament pleased with an incredible Dota 2 final between FEFU and SPbPU.

The number of coups, comebacks and intense mass battles just went through the roof. A very unusual episode at the end of the first map added peppercorns to the final confrontation. The FEFU team, which lost most of the midgame, at some point was able to turn the game around. The collective sent several rivals to the tavern and climbed to the enemy’s base. It would seem that the situation for SPbPU is stalemate, but as soon as the Wraith King of the FEFU swung at the shooting range-3 tower, the St. Petersburg team took a break. Technical problem, headphone problem? No, the SPbPU players honestly wrote: “Tactical pause” (at this moment Puppey somewhere in surprise said: “Was it possible?”). The FEFU team did not protest and simply spiked opponents with the phrase: “Perhaps you need advice?” The stop lasted for several minutes, after which SPbPU was able to save the situation, and at the same time its base, and won the map.

At that moment, although it was already late in the evening, I retrained as a FEFU fan and sincerely wanted her to win. And then a real massacre began. The second map lasted more than 50 minutes and ended with a desperate push from the FEFU, whose players used all the redemptions and simply threw themselves into the opponent’s throne. I examined this map on the first floor of the Yota Arena. In the end, a guard even approached me, who was interested in why the team with the lower score wins (FEFU, again, was inferior for half the meeting), and I gave him an express course on Dota 2. So thanks to the student league people who seem to be very far from the industry will learn about esports.

The third map turned out to be extremely interesting thanks to the drafts. If on the first two picks of the teams were similar to what the participants of the same AniMajor 2023 played, then on the third one went homework: there was a Visage support, and Bristleback and Weaver crust. And in this battle of strategies, FEFU turned out to be stronger, which was able to win in 30 minutes.

Well, then the awards ceremony (by the way, the medals were presented to the participants by Crystal Maiden and Templar Assassin), group photos and hugs. There were no losers in the tournament: in the direction of the hotel, which was located around the corner, the players left, albeit pretty tired, but satisfied. The next All-Russian eSports student league has come to an end.