Is the DPC Division II where Tier 1 teams go to die?

Division II of the DPC seems like a scary place if you are a Tier I team.

Is it the Division or team issue?

It seems that The International 2022 runner-up team lost this post-TI shuffle game.

All three of these teams are headed to Division II for the DPC 2022-23 Spring Tour.

Will they end up dying there?

Or will any of them be able to bounce back to Division I and regain their previous form?

Division I has typically been comprised of Tier 1 teams and the top Tier 2 teams of each region.

Division II, the Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams.

But it doesn’t always pan out that way.

Tier 1 teams sometimes end up in Division II.

Those that end up being relegated seem to never fully recover once they are demoted.

Rarely do they ever see real results after.

Just take a look atNigma,Alliance,Invictus Gaming, andTNC.

They were demoted to Division II for the last tour of the year.

They ended up taking first place and were promoted back to Division I.

Alliance took 7th place in January 2022 in Winter Tour and was relegated to Division II for Spring Tour.

They also failed to qualify for The International.

At the same time as Alliance, iG dropped from Division I to Division II.

They spent Tour 2 and 3 there, and also missed The International.

It seems to serve as both a proving ground and a stepping stone for many Tier 2 teams.

ExecrationandHellraiserswere in Division II last year and are now on their way to the first Major of the year.

Entitystarted last year in Division II, placed first, and then slowly climbed the ranks of Division I.

They then took the regional qualifier spot and eventually a 9-12th place finish at The International 2022.

A new coach brings about a new mentality and is a significant change in gameplay and strategy approach.

Taking a look at the most recent games, anyone can see super strong drafts from March.

So why is it that it seems like a death sentence for Tier I teams?

The problem isn’t the Division itself.

The problem is the mentality.

Tier 2 teams see the grind as a ladder to climb, with rewards and bright promises ahead.

They adapt, adjust, strive, and work hard.