Reigning International champions, OG, have made one of the final steps needed to defend their title. After a grueling three-map upper bracket final, OG came out victorious over hometown favorites PSG.LGD. They now wait to find out who they will face in the grand final, where the victors will take home over $15 million along with the coveted Aegis of Champions.

via Valve

In an almost exact mirror of TI8’s upper bracket, OG and PSG.LGD met once again in the winner’s final. And, just like last year, LGD was favored to take the series. The first game saw the teams match up fairly evenly, with kill and gold leads bouncing between the two. Technical issues stalled the momentum of the match, though the seasoned players seemed unfazed by the recurring pauses. An overextension from OG's Anathan "ana" Pham resulted in an untimely death, turning the game on its head and giving LGD the space they needed to close out the match in just under 45 minutes.

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Game two came with expectations of fire and passion, though few expected the steamroll OG would dish out. The 22-minute match saw OG take full control of the map, not giving LGD any space to breathe as they ended the game in suffocating fashion. Though the second match may have been lacking for LGD fans, game three made sure to deliver with another long, grinding match between two titans of Dota 2. OG seemed to have an edge in the hero draft for most of game three, with Anathan "ana" Pham's Alchemist play showing just how skilled he is. Despite LGD holding a significant kill lead for most of the game, OG's quick thinking and calculated team fights pushed them to the victory at just over 40-minutes.

via Valve

OG now looks to defend their title and become the first-ever two-time International champions, and the first team to win two consecutive TIs. Their future now hangs in the balance as they must wait to find out who their next opponent will be, with the potential for a repeat of last year's grand final versus PSG.LGD. Team Liquid will take on LGD in the lower bracket final tonight at 10pm EST to determine who will join OG in the grand final. The final will also be taking place tonight, currently scheduled for 2am EST.

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