Nigma Galaxy has defeated OG in the Upper Bracket Final of the BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024: Western Europe Closed Qualifier, sparking one important question: Are Nigma back to the form we expect from them?
The new-look Nigma, which is currently operating under a temporary roster without founder and TI-winner Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi, took down an equally temporary OG Dota 2 roster in a close-fought 2-1 matchup.
Image Credit: DreamHack/ESL FACEIT Group
Game one saw Nigma Galaxy pick up a quick win in surprisingly dominant fashion as OG struggled with their lineup of teamfighters and skillshot heroes. But OG would hit back in a perhaps more decisive blow in game two, winning a 21-minute stomp that questioned whether Nigma Galaxy even deserved to be in these qualifiers.
But in game three, both teams brought their A game, and with some of the most dominant heroes of the patch, such as Luna and Dragon Knight, picked on each side, we were finally treated to a real brawl. OG maintained an early game advantage, seemingly coming out on top in all the teamfight trades.
But as the match continued, OG’s Enigma and Tusk looked lost, and Nigma’s Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan started to take control with his Leshrac. Ultimately, it would be stand-in Tony “No!ob” Assaf, normally of PSG Quest, who was the deciding factor, with his incredible performance on Mars. His pin-point accurate spears and deadly arenas prevented OG from winning any Teamfight in a meaningful way past the 20-minute mark.
OG will plummet to the Lower Bracket with one more chance to stay alive at the tournament. Only one team will be able to head to BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024, and OG will have a fight on their hands from upstart teams like AVALUS and MOUZ.
Nigma, on the other hand, look incredible. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this stack, and players like SumaiL and Miracle- look this confident, this strong. Hopefully, we’ll see more of the same going forward at BetBoom Dacha, and see Nigma Galaxy at a major tournament for the first time since Clavision: Snow Ruyi at the start of August.