The International can be considered as Dota 2’s World Cup. With teams from regions from all over the globe coming together to find out who is the best, fans get to cheer for teams and players from their homeland.
Though it may have looked like three Western European teams were left in final stages of TI11, there was an imposter among them. The ultimate victors, Tundra Esports, were embraced by North American Dota fans as the region’s last hope.
All NA teams at TI11 were eliminated by the second round, and one of the most compassionate regions found comfort in the fact that Tundra had two NA members in their TI-winning squad. With an American player in the roster, Sneyking, and a Canadian coach, Aui_2000, carried NA on top of the world once again after Evil Geniuses’ TI5 victory.
Despite being considered one of the weakest regions due to lack of internal competition, NA stood on top of the world in 2015. With Peter “ppd” Dager at the helm of EG, NA triumphed at TI5 and achieved consistent results in the following years.
The region may have been the subject of many memes and banter, but it always finds a way to come out swinging in Major events. EG at TI11, for example, had the first seed in their group and were considered one of the favorites heading into the main event. NA teams often face prejudice from the fans as the region is one of the most isolated regions due to its geographical location. The best teams and players in the region still find a way to sharpen their skills and remain in top form with their limited resources.
