Turkey advances to MSI

MSI 2016 is a chance for the champions of each region to test their strength against one another for glory, prestige, and a challenge.

Turkey's SuperMassive eSports first battled their way through their native region to earn an invite to the International Wildcard Invitational. There, they took down the other Wildcard Champions, earning tickets to Shanghai. Let’s say hello to SuperMassive, the team that’s ready to take on the world.

More Than Just the Luck of the Draw

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Two of the most recognizable Wildcard teams that have played on the global stage hail from Turkey: Dark Passage and Beşiktaş e-Sports Club. SuperMassive eSports retained two key players from Beşiktaş’s previous roster, and entered the International Wildcard showdown to defend the region’s title from last year.

Wildcard regions are often behind the competition in some sense -- in population, infrastructure, or sponsors. Despite these disadvantages, the player from these regions are some of the most dedicated and ravenous around. Their persistence in the face of challenge has earned them fanbases around the world -- and every time they pull off a major upset, it’s a reminder to the rest of the world that you can never count a Wildcard out.

It’s the small victories of the Wildcard teams that often ignite the imagination and passion of fans -- the solo kills and outplays, Goliaths falling on the Rift to the determined Davids, and the underdogs being hungry enough to go toe-to-toe against titans. Of course, Wildcards have pulled off genuine upsets before (just ask Kabum, or paiN Gaming) -- and at the 2016 Mid-Season Invitational, SuperMassive might join the ranks of this elite club.

David versus Goliath, Ali against Foreman, Kabum upsetting Alliance, Beşiktaş swarming Faker and getting First Blood... The Wildcard regions are always underestimated, but always furiously working on overcoming the odds, and can turn in unexpected performances when you least expect it. Every year, the Wildcard teams improve, and tournaments like the IWCI will only continue to raise their profile. As SuperMassive head to Shanghai, fans wonder if they’ll continue to concrete the Wildcard legacy of being unpredictable opponents who can surprise even the most seasoned of teams.

The Big Winners

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Most of the SuperMassive players are no stranger to international competitions, and Turkey has attended MSI before. Dumbledoge is still known for taking Faker down during that bout to this day. With a new roster, SuperMassive will be hoping to step up and give an even better performance.

They’ve been improving since their last time on the international stage, and their victory against Russia's Hard Random at the 2016 International Wildcard Invitational will embolden them to continue trying to take new victories.

Meet the six man roster representing Turkey:

• TOP: Berke "Thaldrin" Demir, Asım Cihat "fabFabulous" Karakaya
• JUNGLE: Furkan "Stomaged" Güngör
• MID: Koray "Naru" Bıçak
• ADC: Nicolaj "Achuu" Ellesgaard
• SUPPORT: Mustafa Kemal "Dumbledoge" Gökseloğlu

Measuring Up to the Competition

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SuperMassive showed a strong performance throughout the 2016 IWCI, cleaning up in the Round Robin before advancing to the Playoffs, making short work of the Saigon Jokers from Vietnam. Their 3-1 victory against Hard Random showed how SuperMassive have a shot to be more than just underdogs in Shanghai.

The Turkish team's strengths lie in their solo laners. Mid laner Naru is a major threat on the team, able to switch from Azir to Lulu to Lissandra in the span of one series. His flexibility and experience means that he may be able to surprise the competition at MSI.

Top laner Thaldrin also played a variety of picks currently strong in the meta: Ekko, Nautilus, and Maokai among them, and was a notably strong part of SuperMassive. This isn’t anything new; Thaldrin picks up anything that enters the meta, being able to carry hard or play a utility tank when the situation calls for it.

To add to their top lane strength, SuperMassive is also the first team in the Turkish Championship League (TCL) to make use of a 6-man roster, with two tops. fabFabulous was an important part of their TCL Winter Split Semifinals victory, as he entered the arena to help them win Game 5.

At the 2016 Mid-Season Invitational SuperMassive's jungler Stomaged will have to watch for invades -- Hard Random took early leads by invading his jungle, and the competition at MSI will no doubt prepare similar strategies. Support Dumbledoge is a veteran who has been playing seriously since Season 2, and he’s racked up a fanbase thanks to his audacity, sense of humour, and dedication. He’ll need to work with his AD carry Achuu to avoid early ganks, especially from the jungle, and giving up gold advantages.

Big Hopes for SuperMassive​

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The 2016 Mid-Season Invitational is approaching, and SuperMassive eSports will be storming the stage along with Counter Logic Gaming, Royal Never Give Up, G2 eSports, Flash Wolves, and SKTelecom T1. As the world turns its eyes to the major tournament, SuperMassive have everything to prove -- the team is aiming to make it to the Quarterfinals. But now it’s more than just a matter of pride; recent changes to the MSI mean that Turkey could secure a direct seed to Worlds, snatching a spot from Europe, China, North America, or Korea in Pool 1.

The Wildcard regions have never backed down in the face of a challenge -- and no one expects them to start now.