2023 appears to be a difficult year for Dota 2 fans, who have been stunned by multiple occurrences over the last 10 months, ranging from the smurfing ban to the termination of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit system to the premium in-game feature scheme, which appears to be less rewarding than last season. In the end, it’s fairly evident that these have contributed to the underwhelming response to the next The International 12, which will be held in Seattle, Washington.
That being said, many are still anticipating the thrilling battle, and among the contenders, we spotted four teams that have the potentials to dominate this tournament: Gaimin Gladiators, Team Liquid, Tundra Esports, and Team Spirit. Each of these teams brings its own unique story and strengths to the grand stage, making for an exciting and unpredictable showdown.
Gaimin Gladiators: The Beast
Highlights: WEU DPC Div 1 2023 Tour 1 and 3 (runner-up), Majors 2023 (champions), DreamLeague Season 20 (runner-up), BetBoom Dacha (champions)
It is said that success does not happen overnight. However, Gaimin Gladiators’ triumph in the competitive Dota 2 arena happened fairly rapidly. After the organization purchased Team Tickles and rebranded it with their own name, the squad quickly established itself as one of the finest in Europe, frequently finishing in the top three of the WEU DPC 2022 series.
GG then made a “little” change to their team when 2023 started. They replaced Miroslav “BOOM” Bican with Quinn “Quinn” Callahan, a former Dota 2 panelist from the US. Fans weren’t sure about this change at first, but GG quickly made a lot of progress and became the most powerful team in Dota 2. They finished in the top three in WEU DPC and won all three Dota 2 Majors, starting a new rivalry with Team Liquid that led up to TI 12.
Their consistency and unrelenting performance have made them a team to be feared this year. Players will have to go extra mile to be able to match Quinn in the middle lane while maintaining their focus against GG’s other top dogs, such as the energetic Anton “dyrachyo” Shkedrov and Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard.
Team Liquid: The Perennial Runner-up
Highlights: DPC WEU Div 1 2023 Tour 1 and 2 (champions), Majors 2023 (runner-up), Riyadh Masters 2023 (runner-up)
Team Liquid, on the other hand, has been the bridesmaid but never the bride in the 2023 Dota 2 Major Series. Although they have been crowned champion in two DPC seasons, they finished as the runner-up in all three majors, narrowly missing out on the top spot each time against GG.
Despite this, Team Liquid’s roster, filled with experienced veterans, remains formidable and may level up their game for the grand tournament. Veterans like Aydin “Insania” Sarkohi and Ludwig “Zai” Wahlberg will definitely lead the way while new sensation Michal “Nisha” Jankowski could devise a new plan to make his play even more unpredictable.
The hunger for a championship title might just be the motivation they need to break their runner-up curse. However, they still got to improve their late game tactics, as they have been exploited enough in nearly every tournament this year.
Tundra Esports: The Reigning Champions
Highlights: The International 11 (champions), WEU DPC Div 1 2023 Tour 3 (champions)
The British team enters TI 12 as the defending champions, having defeated Team Secret in the previous tournament in Singapore last year. Their calculating and practical gameplay at the time may have contributed to their consistency against heavyweights, which was admired by many.
Since then, however, their performance has been mediocre at best, not as good as they used to be but somehow still powerful enough to overcome difficult opponents. They eventually doubled down on their last chance this year, replacing Martin “Saksa” Sazdov with Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen, and could potentially lead to another successful title defense with him as their main man.
There is no doubt Topson’s ability to handle pressure and adapt to various playstyles is widely recognized, and his experience as serial winner can boost the team’s confidence in a high level competition. However, their last result in DreamLeague Season 21 proved that they need to work more as a team instead of relying on Topson alone, as competitors were able to best his teammates in a numerous teamfights.
Team Spirit: The Eastern European Pride
Highlights: EEU DPC Div 1 2023 Tour 1 and 2 (runner-up), Tour 3 (champions), Riyadh Masters 2023 (champions), DreamLeague Season 21 (champions)
The Russian powerhouse was widely known for their thrilling victory at The International 10 in 2021, where they left fans in awe with their Cinderella run against PSG.LGD. However, their performance post-TI 10 has been marred by inconsistency.
Following the loss of key player, Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek, however, their performance in 2022 left fans and analysts questioning whether they could replicate their success. They had their moments of brilliance but often found themselves falling short in major tournaments, failing to secure important victories. Recently, however, Spirit has shown signs of resurgence in the run-up to TI 12.
In a span of just two months, they showed their impressive improvement in the Riyadh Masters 2023 and DreamLeague Season 21. It took a considerable amount of time, but we can say their teamwork and tactics are now returning to higher level, and they have displayed a renewed hunger for success.
Captain Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov’s strategic prowess and leadership has been praised as the most important piece in the team, along with the improvement of Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, who consistently delivering clutch performances. Should they be able to maintain this level, it won’t be surprising to see Spirit to progress as far into the grand finals this year.
TI 12 promises to be an epic showdown featuring the best Dota 2 teams from around the world. While Gaimin Gladiators and Team Liquid continue their intense rivalry, Tundra Esports aims to defend their championship title, and Team Spirit is on their redemption arc. Fans undoubtedly will be expecting one of them to lift the Aegis this year.
