With just 4 remaining teams at The International 11, we will learn the name of the new champion in just a couple of days from now. Some Dota 2 fans expected Team Spirit to win the event for the second time in a row, but the team was eliminated in the Lower Bracket. In other words, we will have a new champion.
The fact that many of the favorites are no longer a part of the tournament makes it way more interesting to watch. Each of the 4 remaining squads has what it takes to win, so we will be eager to see the results.
Having said that, the fact that some of the favorites are no longer a part of the event means that many of your favorite players won’t be able to lift this year’s Aegis. Let’s go over some of the big names you should be aware of.
Wang “Ame” Chunyu
It is safe to say that this is one of the biggest disappointments regarding The International 11. Many people expected PSG.LGD to dominate and win the event because the team has been one of the best in China in the last couple of years. However, Ame and the rest lost several crucial matches. In the end, they were eliminated by another Chinese team — Team Aster.
The fact that PSG.LGD is no longer a part of the event means that one of the best Chinese players won’t be able to win The International 11. Ame has always been a force to be reckoned with and is one of the world’s best Chinese Dota 2 players. However, he is yet to win the biggest Dota 2 event.
Whether Ame will remain a part of LGD for the upcoming DPC season is yet to be seen. Needless to say, of he decides to make a move, he will be one of the most wanted players in the professional Dota 2 scene.
Lu “Somnus” Yao
While we are on the topic of the best Chinese players in Dota 2, we have to mention Somnus. Also known as Maybe, this is probably the most recognizable name in the mid-lane, at least in China. Lu is notorious for being one of the best individual players the game has ever seen and is one of the biggest names in esports.
Throughout his career, Lu won almost every big tournament, aside from The International. He came close a couple of times with LGD, but the Chinese superstar was unable to lift the trophy.
In terms of The International 11, Somnus played for Royal Never Give Up, one of the best teams in China. His team won Tour 3 of the DPC and was one of the big favorites for this event, even though it had to go through the regional qualifiers.
Even though the team had an explosive start after winning its first couple of matches, some of its members got COVID. Unsurprisingly, they had to play away from their teammates, which negatively affected the team’s results. Suddenly, Royal Never Give Up lost all of the subsequent series and even failed to defeat Entity in the LB.
The sad news is that Somnus may no longer play Dota 2 as a professional player because there were rumors that he would retire.
Armel “Armel” Tabios
The International 11 will go down in history as the first TI that took the palace in SEA. Singapore welcomed the best teams in the world, and one of them was Fnatic, a team that is based in SEA. Needless to say, fans expected the teams from this part of the world to perform better than usual, but this was not the case.
Although some people may disagree, it is safe to say that Fnatic is the best team in the region. Hence, fans thought that Armel and the rest would secure at least a top 8 finish. Sadly, this never happened because the team lost a lot of matches it should’ve won.
After finishing 5th in Group B, Fnatic had to play against Gaimin Gladiators in the deadly Bo1s. Although Armel is one of the best individual players in the world and among the top midders, he failed to lead his team to victory. As a result, Fnatic was eliminated from the competition.
Artour “Arteezy” Babaev
There is no arguing that Arteezy is one of the most popular Dota 2 players ever. The North American superstar has fans from all over the world because of his entertaining streams. He is also one of the best carry players the game has ever seen and has had a key role in Team Secret and EG’s success over the years.
Despite that, he is among the few top-tier players yet to win The International 11. Considering EG’s performance in North America, some people thought that this could be the TI when the North American team could finally show its prowess after the triumph at TI 5. Sadly, this was not the case.
Even though Arteezy and his team dominated in the laning stage, everything went downhill after advancing to the Main Stage. The team lost its match against Thunder Awaken, and it was eliminated by beastcoast in the LB. This put an end to Arteezy’s hopes of winning The International 11.
Artem “Yuragi” Golubiev
Many people may think that Yuragi should not be in the same group as the names mentioned above because he doesn’t have that much experience. This might be true up to a point, but there is no arguing he is one of the best carry players in the world right now.
Yuragi was one of the big reasons why OG won two big LAN events in 2022. However, the player’s lack of experience didn’t allow him to show everything he’s capable of at The International 11.
Even though OG qualified for the Upper Bracket of the Main Event, the team did not live up to the expectations. Yuragi and the rest lost matches they should’ve won, which is why they are no longer a part of the event.
estnn.com
