Team Empire wraps up The International’s first CIS qualifier

Regional favorites and staple organization Team Empire have taken the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) qualifier spot for The International 7. The team will continue into the main event in Seattle in early August for a shot at the Aegis of Champions and a massive prize pool.

The team, much like the region itself, has had an up-and-down season, with victories and losses in a number of events. Still, they came out strong in their regional qualifier, the first ever for the region for the massive annual event. They overtook the likes of Vega Squadron and underdogs M19, then finished in a spectacular sweep against Team Spirit in order to close out the double-elimination bracket.

A team under Team Empire’s banner attended the International in 2015. However, none of the five players have themselves, making this the squad’s first trip into Seattle. They’ll also be the first qualifier team under the CIS banner, joining regional powerhouse Virtus.Pro, which was directly invited to the LAN. While there can only be one winner, both teams can rejoice at the increased representation of the largest player population in Dota 2.