TNC Predator's bid to make it to the second Major of the year suffered a massive blow as it absorbed a stunning 2-0 loss to also-ran Lilgun of Mongolia in the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) Season 2-Southeast Asia Upper Division on Saturday night, May 16.
Playing the spoiler's role, erstwhile winless Lilgun pulled off a 44-minute upset in Game 1 behind Sukhbat "Sanctity-" Otgondavaa's Anti-Mage who destroyed Armel "Armel" Tabios' Medusa and the rest of TNC in the late game.
The Mongolians then went for a cheese offlane Pudge pick for Tuguldur "MaRveL-" Munkhbat that seemed to have rattled the Filipinos' game plan in Game 2 while working wonders for them to score a 45-22 romp in 31 minutes.
With the shocking defeat, TNC wasted a golden opportunity to secure at least a third-place finish in the SEA Upper Division which guarantees a spot in the second Dota 2 Major of the year.
The PH team, which missed the bus to the ONE Esports SIngapore Major, surrendered a tie at No. 1 with Fnatic and T1 on identical 4-2 records in the eight-team standings.
For its part, the eliminated Lilgun seized its first win after suffering five straight losses in its Upper Division debut.
In the second series, Smart Omega kept its hopes of staying in the Upper Division alive after snapping its four-game losing skid and closing out its campaign with a 2-0 sweep over Boom Esports of Indonesia.
Omega banked on carry Justine "Tino" Grimaldo and position-4 support Mark "Shanks" Redira to get the crucial win that put them at joint sixth with Boom on similar 3-4 slates.
Tino and company forced a tiebreaker against Boom at the least for the right to stay in the Upper Division and avoid relegation to the Lower Division.