Will we see a new organization break through the Chinese scene at ESL One Manila? Alright, Wings Gaming aren’t a new organization, to be fair, but they certainly haven’t had the chance to really make a name for themselves yet. That could change with ESL One Manila just around the corner. For a team that only rarely gets to go up against non-Chinese opponents, this will be a true test of strength.
They have already shown that they are not to be underestimated in the ESL One Manila Chinese qualifiers. In a by-no-means-easy bracket, they not only vanquished both ViCi Gaming squads as well as iG Vitality but also straight up crushed them. The best-of-five finals against fy’s VG Reborn especially were a showcase of utter domination in a clear-cut 3-0. If they can replicate this level of play at ESL One Manila, they will most certainly have a good chance at advancing through the group stages and beyond.
In Group A, they will be challenged by Team Liquid, compLexity and Mineski. Liquid and coL are already being touted as hot favorites to advance out of this group, but considering that Wings have managed to best Liquid recently at StarLadder, this may not be such an open-and-shut case. They will most definitely bring a different style of play to the table as one of the few teams to not utilize Earth Spirit during this patch and instead sometimes featuring lesser-seen heroes like Treant Protector and core Venomancer. Will their opponents be prepared for their unique playstyle?
| Position | Player | Most played heroes (patch 6.86) |
| Carry | Shadow |
   |
| Mid | bLink |
   |
| Offlane | bian |
|
| Support | Innocence |
   |
| Support | iceice |
   |
Recent matchups against other attendees
International appearances have been rare for Wings Gaming, with the only exposure to Western teams coming from StarLadder Season 13/i-League Season 4. The Chinese haven’t had a great showing in Minsk, but they have surely gathered invaluable intel to help them prepare for ESL One Manila - let’s see if it’ll pay off.
Team Liquid
-
1-0 at StarLadder Season 13/i-League Season 4
Team Secret
-
0-1 at StarLadder Season 13/i-League Season 4
compLexity
-
0-1 at StarLadder Season 13/i-League Season 4
EHOME
-
0-2 at H-Cup Season 4
See Wings in action in Manila!
Wings have it all to do in Manila and we can’t wait to find out whether they can rise to the occasion. Facing them will be seven other teams just as hungry for the trophy, so don’t forget to get yourself acquainted with them in our team previews:
- Consistency is key for Team Liquid at ESL One Manila
- Team Empire are ready to make their first ever ESL One appearance in Manila
- Fnatic to face the giants at ESL One Manila
- Can compLexity continue their great performances at ESL One Manila?
- Mineski: The Filipino hope at ESL One Manila
- Team Secret to put on a show at ESL One Manila
- Revamped EHOME ready to go for the title at ESL One Manila
The action starts on Friday, so don’t forget to get all the information you need from the ESL One Manila site as well as the ESL Dota 2 Twitter and Facebook social media accounts!
You also still have time to set up your fantasy brackets for the tournament - simply head over to the ESL One Manila fantasy hub and challenge your Dota 2 prediction skills.
