Esports competitions have been around for almost two decades. Yep, believe it or not, we’ve had esports competitions long before they had ventured into the mainstream thanks to the likes of Starcraft II and League of Legends. Just like with every other competitive scene out there, the fans have their heroes, clowns, and villains, all nicely packed in an upset-friendly environment that often creates amazing storylines.
As the title implies, we’re here to unearth the biggest esports upsets ever – teams who’ve exceeded all expectations and won (or were just inches away from winning) some of the biggest events in their esports ecosystem.
Biggest Esports Upsets
Without further ado, here are the five biggest esports upsets that shook the competitive waters:
Cloud9 on ELEAGUE Major 2018
Let’s start off with the upset you all know and love – Cloud9 winning the ELEAGUE Major in Boston back in 2018. Here’s how the tournament went:
Cloud9 aced the Challengers Stage, winning all three of their matches without too many issues. But then, in the Legends Stage, G2 and Space Soldiers shocked them on Cache and Cobblestone. But, Cloud9 didn’t let their spirits drop down. They won all three following matches, eliminating Virtus.pro, Astralis, and Vega Squadron.
As for the Champions Stage (AKA the playoffs), Cloud9 had their revenge against G2, swept past SK Gaming in the semifinals and then reverse swept heavily favored Faze Clan orchestrated by prime NiKo. It was quite the show, courtesy of skadoodle, autimatic and the rest of the now legendary Cloud9 roster. One thing is certain, their win in Boston stands, even in this day in age, as one of the biggest upsets in the history of CSGO.
ENCE on IEM Katowice Major 2019
2019 was a crazy year. It was the year before the lockdown, the year before the numerous cancellations of major esports events. Both 2019 CSGO majors showcased massive upsets, with two teams (one per each tournament) reaching the grand finals seemingly against all odds.
Of course, we’re referring to ENCE and AVANGAR, two unlikely contestants that took the Majors by storm and displayed brilliant performances that almost saw them take the title and steal the show.
ENCE, arguably, was the bigger surprise of the two. It’s not just because they entered the tournament as absolute underdogs but because they took down a number of top-tier teams that could’ve made it all the way.
ENCE eliminated Team Liquid, NaVi, and lost to Astralis in the grand finals. It was quite the run to the playoffs, though, seeing as they’ve lost the first two Legends Stage matches and had to win three straight just to qualify for the playoffs AKA the Champions Stage. Needless to say, those five matches were EZ4ENCE!
Taipei Assassins on LoL Worlds 2012
The story of the Taipei Assassins on LoL Worlds 2012 will forever be etched in my mind as one of my dearest memory. Call me crazy, but the way these “outsiders” swept the competition in groups and demolished everyone in the playoffs was absolutely fantastic.
Toyz and the boys had to go through NaJin Sword, Moscow 5, and heavily favored Azubu Frost in the grand finals. The final two matches saw Taipei Assassins come back with two outstanding reverse sweeps. Both Moscow 5 and Azubu Frost took control of the match, but TPA didn’t really care. They stuck to their own gameplan and rose to greatness.
OG on Dota 2 International 2018
OG’s Cinderella story that ended up with 2018 The International title was always going to be among the biggest esports upsets ever. How come? Wasn’t OG one of the best Dota 2 teams prior to 2018?
Well yeah, OG was near or at the top of the Dota 2 food chain for quite a while, but they never managed to win the Aegis of the Immortals. After several unsuccessful TI campaigns, two of their star players (fly and s4) decide to pursue their luck elsewhere, with OG’s TI 2018 campaign seemingly in the ditch before the event had even begun.
But then something amazing happened. N0tail moved to hard support. 7ckingMad (former coach) went to off-lane. Ana and Topson joined the team as well, forming a starting roster many thought would get eliminated right off the bat.
However, the new OG bunch prevailed. They rose to the occasion like never before, displayed brilliant performances from start to finish and ended up lifting the Aegis of the Immortals seemingly against all odds.
Team Spirit on Dota 2 International 2021
To wrap up our list of the biggest esports upsets ever, we have our second Dota 2 storyline. The International is the topic once again, as if it could be any other Dota 2 tournament. The year is 2021, and Team Spirit managed to pull off a feat worthy of being put in the same basket as OG’s TI8 trophy.
Before the start of the tournament, Dota 2 betting sites had featured +2500 odds on Team Spirit to win the event outright. This goes to show you what a huge underdog they had been. In fact, there were at least ten teams with better chances than them.
Without going into too much detail, Spirit ended up beating five top-notch teams in the lower bracket as well as PSG.LGD in the grand finals. They walked away with more than $18 million in prize money after creating one of the biggest upsets the Dota 2 esports scene has ever seen.
Benefits of Betting on Upsets
Now that you’ve seen the biggest esports upsets, you ought to be thinking right now “how can I predict the next one and cash in on my knowledge”. Well, It’s a legit question; a million-dollar one, for sure!
Let’s start with the latter – the biggest drawback of betting on upsets is the fact that you’ll be losing your bets most of the time. Upsets are amazing, but they don’t come that often. When they do, though, you’ll be thrilled to witness them… even more so if you’ve placed some money on them.
Massive Returns
If you’ve placed money on an upset, you must’ve realized by now what a massive return you’re in for. Odds on upsets are extremely high because, quite frankly, the chances of them coming true are next to nothing.
Immeasurable Excitement
But, if you’ve invested some money into an upset and it kicks off on the right foot, your excitement will be immeasurable, to say the least. It’s practically cheering for the underdog team but with a massive return from esports betting sites on the line. It doesn’t get any better than this, really.
Wrapping Things Up
What are your thoughts on our list of the biggest upsets in the history of esports? Are you satisfied with it or would you like to see some alterations? Tell us more in the comments section down below!
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