The Wild Cards of the Dota 2 Singapore Major has concluded. We're now on the first day of Group Stage. For those who missed it, here's what went down last weekend, and what happened to the three teams who have just lost their spots in the Major.

THE STORY SO FAR IN THE SINGAPORE MAJOR – CHINA DOMINATES THE WILD CARDS

The Chinese teams dominated the Wild Cards of the Singapore Major, with PSG.LGD (4-0-1) and Vici Gaming (3-1-1) leading the Round Robins. PSG.LGD dominated most, defeating all of the teams save for Team Liquid (3-0-2), the only other team to come out of the Round Robins unscathed. Vici Gaming's only loss also came from PSG.LGD, while also drawing one round against Team Nigma (0-1-4). Team Liquid, on the other hand, didn't split any rounds against any of their match-ups, winning three series and losing games against Vici Gaming and AS Monaco Gambit (3-0-2).

The final standings led to a tie between Team Liquid and AS Monaco Gambit. While AS Monaco Gambit did beat Team Liquid in their series, Team Liquid got the upper hand in the crucial Bo1 tiebreaker match.

With the results of the Wild Cards Round Robins, AS Monaco Gambit, Team Nigma, and T1 (1-0-4) left the tournament early. T1's only win came against Team Nigma, while Team Nigma's only map win was against Vici Gaming. With the three teams out of the tournament, we are now down to the last thirteen teams of the Singapore Major.

MOVING FORWARD: ONE MORE WILL SAY GOODBYE IN THE GROUP STAGE

PSG.LGD, Vici Gaming, and Team Liquid joined five other teams in the Singapore Major Group Stage. Eight teams compete in Round Robins, playing each team two maps each. By the time the Group Stage ends tomorrow, there will be another team packing their bags for the airport.

After day one today, Southeast Asia has the most precarious position of all. Fnatic may become the sole SEA team to compete in the playoffs, as OB Esports Neon (0-1-3) stands on the brink of elimination. Meanwhile, the Alliance (0-1-2) sits one level above Neon Esports for the sole reason that they've played and lost one less game than them. Their match tomorrow will be important for both teams, as it could be the only match for both teams to matter in the end.

Meanwhile, Team Liquid (1-2-1) and Vici Gaming (1-2-1) both tied up with Team Aster (1-2-1) and Quincy Crew (1-2-1), just above Alliance. They have enough breathing space so far, and just a few wins may be enough to secure their playoff berth. The other team to make it out of Wild Cards, PSG.LGD (1-2-0) stands above Team Liquid and Vici Gaming the same way Alliance does on top of Neon. Having played and lost one game less than the other two teams, PSG.LGD may find itself in the same position as the other two Wild Card teams if they aren't careful tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Thunder Predator (4-0-0) surprised the world by winning eight straight maps on the opening day of the Group Stage. That's totally unheard of, as many may have discounted the South American team early on. Thunder Predator's score already ensures they're moving forward to the playoffs. All they're fighting for now is the top spot on the scoreboard.

THE SINGAPORE MAJOR IS HEATING UP: PLAYOFFS AHEAD

As mentioned above, the Group Stage will continue until tomorrow. All teams will play at least three matches, and one team will say goodbye. The rest will move on to the playoffs, where six of the world's strongest teams today are waiting.

The Chinese teams have performed really well so far, and we will see at least three teams from China in the playoffs, with Invictus Gaming chief among them. Europe's, if not the world's, strongest team right now, Team Secret, will be able to test their yearlong dominant streak against the rest of the world. Virtus.pro‘s young team will finally get to test their mettle here, and Evil Geniuses is also a formidable foe. Finally, Fnatic might end up as the sole representative of their region, unless Neon rallies tomorrow and win the matches they need to proceed to the playoffs.

The upper bracket matches of the Playoffs will be filled with the top three teams from the group stage and the five teams above. Meanwhile, the rest of the teams will start in the lower bracket. The upper bracket matches will start the day after the first group stage. However, it's worth noting that reaching the playoffs is still not worthy of celebration for any of these teams, at least not in terms of prizes. Only the top 8 will receive DPC and a portion of the $500,000 prize pool, with half of the teams joining the tournament not receiving a single dime.