Excellence under pressure: Dota 2’s best-ever teams
Professional Dota 2 has been around for well over a decade. During that timeframe, the esports scene has seen its fair share of amazing teams. A good metric to measure those teams is how they step up under pressure. A few squads have set themselves apart and left a mark on the game’s history.
Defining greatness in Dota 2
For a Dota 2 team to be considered great, it goes beyond the one-off victories. The best teams usually combine consistency across multiple events with an affinity for succeeding in this game’s biggest event, called The International. This is the most prestigious event in Dota 2 and arguably the entirety of esports.
OG
As one of the most popular teams in Dota 2 history, OG captured people’s hearts quite often during their heyday. From the mid-to-late 2010s, OG was a dominant side. They were winning many Valve Majors early on, but they could not get past their troubles at TI.
That was problematic enough that their co-founder and captain Tal ‘Fly’ Aizik left the team to join Evil Geniuses. This left co-founder Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein to pick up the scraps and lead the team as captain. It was a blessing in disguise as N0tail would form the team that would end up winning both TI8 and TI9.
This team was more than amazing; they were powered by a wholesome friendship between the players. It made them the prime example of a good Dota 2 team and a great esports story.
Team Spirit
Team Spirit has become the face of consistent top-level Dota 2 in the 2020s. They won TI in 2021. They might have lost in 2022, but they regrouped around their core of Illya ‘Yatoro’ Mulyarchuk, Magomed ‘Collapse’ Khalilov, and Yaroslav ‘Miposhka’ Naidenov, who have combined raw skill with superb discipline that made them into a modern powerhouse.
They also have two TI wins under their belt. This consistency across different years has made them one of the most feared teams in Dota 2 history. Team Spirit’s success has proven that youth, talent, and composure have helped them overcome the most seasoned opponents possible.
With most of this team still intact, they could surpass OG and become the definitive team in Dota 2 history.
Team Liquid
Few organisations in esports have showcased longevity like Team Liquid. They had the 2017 roster led by Kuro ‘KuroKy’ Salehi Takhasomi that won The International. Fast forward to 2024, they won TI again, albeit with a different roster led by the likes of Michael ‘miCKe’ Vu and Samuel ‘Boxi’ Svahn.
Team Liquid is the embodiment of enduring success in the history of Dota 2’s competitive scene. That sustained excellence across years and different rosters shows the org’s quality.
