Each player that attends The International set out to showcase their best Dota and immortalize their names forever. But, only one team can claim the Aegis of Champions and Team Secret came closer than they ever have at TI11.
Making their way all the way through the Last Chance Qualifier, Secret stormed their way to the grand finals in one of the most surprising turnarounds from underdog to favorite in recent memory.
And. though they couldn’t stop the pro-favorites on Tundra Esports from claiming the Aegis, a pattern has been in the making for Puppey and Secret, which indicates the organization may have already secured the TI12 title.
The curse Puppey mentioned in his post-TI tweet dates all the way back to 2016.
After placing in a tie for dead last at TI6, Puppey’s worst placement at any TI ever, Secret’s results have been steadily improving in each iteration of the event.
- TI7 — Ninth place
- TI8 — Fifth place
- TI9 — Fourth place
- TI10 — Third place
- TI11 — Second place
If this pattern continues next year, Secret’s curse will finally lift, in turn allowing Puppey to lift the Aegis once more.
Should that happen, Puppey would not only continue to be the only player to ever attend every iteration of TI, but he would also join OG’s TI8 and TI9 roster as the only players to ever lift the Aegis twice—having previously won TI1 with Natus Vincere.
Additionally, he would create a limited record, being the only player to win both the first and most recent TI, up until the next year.
Since this trend started, Secret has earned over $9.5 million with their performances in the last five TIs. All marks of consistency that are basically unmatched in most esports outside of very few exceptions—such as OG.
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Puppey, as the founder and captain of the team, has been at the helm since 2014. During their time under the spotlight, Secret has gone through multiple different iterations with Puppey as the sole constant, leading veterans and newcomers alike to great heights.
This includes attending every TI, those stacking results over the last five years, and setting multiple records.
Now the only remaining question is whether Secret will make any Dota 2 roster changes before trying to seize their destiny and picking the fruits of their curse at TI12.
