The International Championship is the most anticipated tournament in Dota 2, and plausibly Esports. It is held annually, and for many pro players, it’s the pinnacle of their career to play on such a stage.
As such, we have had quite a series of past Internationals, each one with its own TI highlights to make it memorable. As the International 11 draws near, these are the TI11 highlights you might have missed.
The International 1
We take a trip down memory lane, to the first International (TI1) when Gabe Newell’s welcome speech was broadcasted. Eleven years ago, participating in a $1.6M tournament of a game, which was still in beta, sounds very much like a scam. In fact, even the participating teams and players had their doubts that they were in a fake tournament. However, Valve was serious about hosting million-dollar tournaments, such that this became the foothold for upcoming iterations of the International Championship.
The International 2
Although TI2 had the same prize pool, the International Highlight that defined that year was Invictus Gaming’s victory over Natus Vincere. Navi won TI1, which was a massive feat, but during that time, there weren’t many teams as cunning as Navi. The victory by a Chinese team likely gave the Chinese Dota 2 scene the bloom it needed to become strong contenders.
WELCOME BONUS 100% UP TO €100 BONUS
The International 3
TI3 was the first year when Valve introduced a community-funded prize pool on top of Valve’s own $1.6M initial prize pool. TI3 Compendium offered exclusive skins, of which the hero Pudge’s Dragonclaw Hook was all the craze, many thanks to Navi’s mid-player, Danil “Dendi” Ishutin. Over the years, due to how limited it was, the DC Hook once reached $1500 at its highest demand. Another iconic Ti Highlight was when Dendi’s Pudge and Clement “Puppey” Ivanov’s Chen pulled off the Fountain Hook play. The “play”, however, raised a debate on whether it’s a well-executed skill or bug abuse.
TI3 continued to have more TI Highlights, especially when Alliance showcased its Rat Dota strategy, which relied on split-pushing. Alliance won the grand finals with this very strategy against Navi’s stronger team-fight draft.
The International 5
Fast forward to TI5 when Evil Geniuses, the North American powerhouse won the region’s first TI. This TI Highlight is more memorable when Syed “SumaiL” Hassan became the youngest player to win TI at only sixteen. Yet, TI5 felt personal for many fans rooting for Clinton “Fear” Loomis after his featured story in Valve’s “Free To Play” documentary.
Fear was among the oldest players, and his arm injury forced him to withdraw from TI4. As such, when Fear finally won TI5, it was a sign of relief for both Fear and the fans. Of course, who could forget the million-dollar echo slam by Saahil “Universe” Arora, which won them the last match?That’s it for the first part of the list, make sure to stay tuned in as we’ll keep sharing the best TI moments in the history of Dota 2. Also, with The International 11 kicking off soon, make sure you check out our Dota 2 betting page where you can find all the best sign up offers and free bets available.
