The Berlin Dota 2 Major 2023 continues to provide thrilling action, with day three of the Playoffs concluding on 3rd May. The day saw Gaimin Gladiators, the Lima Major champions, defeat OG and 9 Pandas, an Eastern European underdog squad, defeat The International 11 (TI11) champions Tundra Esports to secure a spot for themselves in the Top 3 of the tournament. On the other hand, PSG.LGD was eliminated from the tournament after facing a defeat from Southeast Asia's Talon Esports. 

Berlin Dota 2 Major 2023 Playoffs Day 3 Recap

Following is the recap of the third day of Berlin Dota 2 Major 2023 Playoffs.

Lower Bracket Round 1 

Talon Esports vs PSG.LGD

Talon Esports won a nail-biting series against PSG.LGD in the lower bracket round 1. In the first game, Talon secured a 27-10 kill lead within just 27 minutes, eventually winning the game. Although Talon had a dominant start in the second game, PSG.LGD managed to hold on for over an hour, and the game went into multiple teamfights. Talon's Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon proved to be the difference-maker, using Song of the Siren to catch multiple PSG.LGD heroes for an Aghanim's Scepter-upgraded Static Storm from Oli's Disruptor. After 73 minutes of gameplay, Talon emerged victorious, knocking PSG.LGD out of the tournament.

Upper Bracket Semifinals

Gaimin Gladiators vs OG

In the upper bracket semifinals, Gaimin Gladiators faced OG, but the latter was no match for the defending Major champions on the hunt for a second title. Gaimin Gladiators comfortably won the first game, with Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov and Quinn "Quinn" Callahan leading their team's 42-22 kill lead. The second was even more one-sided, with Gaimin Gladiators securing a 2-0 sweep in just under 25 minutes of action.

9 Pandas vs Tundra Esports

The day's final match saw 9 Pandas pull off another huge upset over Tundra Esports. 9 Pandas won the first game in a low-kill affair where Roman "RAMZES666" Kushnarev on Alchemist simply farmed his way to victory. In the second game, Tundra dominated 9 Pandas in just 22 minutes. Neta "33" Shapira gained attention for playing offlane Medusa, but Martin "Saksa" Sazdov was the standout player, earning 12 kills out of his team's total of 23 with Bounty Hunter.

The competition intensified in game three, with 9 Pandas ultimately defeating Tundra in a 47-minute battle. Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyryanov was exceptional on Tinker, accumulating 25 kills and only six deaths, leading his team to a 42-36 advantage in kills.

Also read: Berlin Dota 2 Major 2023: Team Spirit, Xtreme Gaming, and Shopify Rebellion Eliminated

The ESL One Berlin Major 2023 playoffs have been thrilling so far, with several surprises and upsets. It will be interesting to see who will take home the top honors. Notably, Gaimin Gladiators and 9 Pandas have certainly proved that they are strong contenders for the ultimate title.