Each DPC season is an opportunity for Dota 2 teams to prove themselves and make it to The International. 2022 marked the 11th edition of Dota 2’s premiere event, and despite some production issues, TI11 went down in the game’s history books as one of the most memorable events.
From legendary storylines to teams going above and beyond in the tournament, it was another TI filled with excellent Dota 2 action. As the best players rose to the occasion, they also pulled their teams to great heights, making 2022 one of their best years yet.
5) Hokori, beastcoast, and Thunder Awaken — South America
The year 2022 was a phenomenal one for South America. Though each of these teams deserves a separate entry, the fact they stepped up altogether at the highest stage of Dota 2 called for joint recognition.
Starting with Hokori, fans saw for the first time that a division two team could make it to a TI. Not only was their journey an inspiring one for all the up-and-coming competitors out there, but they also caused multiple upsets during the group stage. Hokori was only a few matches away from guaranteeing an upper-bracket slot. On a different day, the team could have easily broken into the top eight, but the young squad had to settle for 13th place.
Beastcoast has been SA’s lone guardian for a few years. They already had a decent track record of performing in LAN events, and they weren’t alone in TI11, as they had the company of Hokori and Thunder Awaken. Beastcoast finished the tournament in seventh place and had to eliminate Hokori while doing so—a bittersweet moment for the SA region.
As Hokori and beastcoast put out performances that made their fans proud, Thunder Awaken was busy achieving the highest place for the region ever. On the back of amazing plays, Thunder Awaken placed fifth alongside PSG.LGD, which is a remarkable achievement for both the players and SA.
4) OG — Europe
The two-time TI-winning organization went through major changes before the 2022 DPC season. OG welcomed a squad filled with young talent as the old guard stepped down. While many expected this roster to take some time to adjust to find their true potential, it was only a matter of months before they found success.
OG essentially crowned their 2022 DPC season with a Major trophy in Stockholm, and they also had an admirable run through TI11, tying for seventh place with beastcoast. After their impressive season, OG still decided to make roster changes, looking to achieve an even better season.
3) Team Aster and PSG.LGD — China
Compared to previous years, the Chinese Dota 2 region was away from the spotlight. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in their homeland, the best Chinese teams missed out on attending Majors and had to settle for regional finals instead.
In addition to not being able to attend Majors, this also meant Chinese teams missed out on the opportunity to practice versus their international counterparts. The situation showed its effects at TI11 as PSG.LGD struggled to find their footing, but Team Aster stepped up to ensure the region’s survival.
Though Aster was considered to be their region’s underdog, they performed above expectations and placed fourth after defeating LGD. Aster even took a game off from Liquid, who was on a remarkable lower-bracket run.
After a slow start to the group stage, LGD could still snatch an upper bracket spot, but they were sent back to the lower bracket in the first round. The legendary organizations could survive for three rounds in the lower bracket before bidding farewell to the tournament in fifth place.
2) Team Liquid and Team Secret — Europe
The two titans of Europe had to test themselves in the Last Chance Qualifiers. Both of these teams were one step away from elimination before they even made it to TI11, which makes their achievements even more striking.
After the LCQ, Liquid and Secret turned into unstoppable forces in the main event of TI11. While Secret were able to maintain their position in the upper bracket for a prolonged period, Liquid was on a rampage in the lower bracket.
Though these two teams had disappointing performances throughout the 2022 DPC season, they both redeemed themselves with Liquid placing third, and Secret placing second.
1) Tundra Esports — Europe
Tundra Esports had a shaky DPC season. While the team could show their teeth in regional leagues, they were wiped out of most LAN events they attended. This caused a drift in the team, and not many fans expected them to survive in TI11.
Professionals, however, had a different idea. Parties that closely followed Tundra’s bootcamp process leading up to TI11 knew how much of a threat the team would end up being in the tournament, and they were right.
Tundra mastered Dota 2’s metagame before TI11 started and cruised through the tournament without breaking a sweat. Even in the matches that they were expected to have a difficult time, Tundra outclassed their opponents before lifting the Aegis of Champions.
Published: Dec 21, 2022 09:54 am