NA's top seed at EWC, the Dallas Fuel
When the Dallas Fuel returned to competition following their Champions Clash finish, many were expecting a return to regional dominance just as it happened in Stage 1. It came as a big surprise to all after the Fuel lost their opening match of the stage 0-3, and looked to be thoroughly behind Spacestation Gaming.
These concerns didn’t persist long, given that Dallas decisively won their remaining matches to end the regular season at 4-1, easily making it to the playoffs. While many expected them to come into their playoffs hungry, the region was shocked once more after a rising Team Liquid defeated the Fuel 0-3 and sent them down to the Lower Bracket.
Many assumed Dallas would qualify for Paris, and they did so after beating LuneX 3-0, but there were more doubts about their chances of making it to the regional Grand Finals. But as was said many years ago, those that burn blue burn brightest, and the Dallas Fuel swiftly defeated Team Liquid 3-1 in their rematch and defeated Spacestation in the finals, 4-2.
This was an impressive feat. While other teams may have crumbled under the pressure, the Dallas Fuel quickly learned from their mistakes and came back to beat both Team Liquid and Spacestation Gaming, defending their regional title and punching their tickets to Paris as the No. 1 seed from North America.
In this evolving meta, teams like Liquid and Spacestation have relied on their player’s understanding of the meta, while looking to figure out the best possible combination to overcome their opponents. The Dallas Fuel, on the other hand, play to their individual strengths and hero comfort. Kim "Kellan" Min-jae’s hero pool has given the team a unique identity, which is further reinforced by Christopher "Cjay" Smith and Luke "Lukemino" Fish’s flexibility on the support roster. And as their DPS players spearhead new compositions, the Dallas Fuel have proven time and again that playing to your strengths can make all the difference.
In the previous international major, the Dallas Fuel were able to push back against EMEA powerhouse Virtus.pro, but ultimately fell short and ended their run in 5th-6th place. With more time to prepare and many lessons now learned, the Fuel are looking to make their mark on the international stage once more at the Midseason Championship.
The Dallas Fuel will begin their Midseason Championship run against Team Falcons on July 29.