Step back in time: the best Dota 2 tournaments in history

Since 2011, when the first The International took place, the globally successful MOBA Dota 2 has offered some of the greatest moments in the history of esports. This is thanks to the best players, developer Valve and all the other tournament organizers and casters and talent. Be it with unbelievable gameplay that determines the outcome of a tournament and thus the winner of several million US dollars or with emotional moments that leave goose bumps: Dota 2 is one of the best e-sports in the world. To celebrate this amazing esports title, let's take a look at the five most memorable Dota 2 esports tournaments of all time.

Against all odds: Dota 2 makes esports history

In the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, OG Dota 2 made e-sports history. The European team OG became the first two-time TI champion without any changes in the roster. What's even more impressive is that OG made it through all the odds.

OG already had to restructure its team in 2018 after Tal Aizik and Gustav Magnusson left for Evil Geniuses (EG). Instead of qualifying directly for The International 2018, OG had to fight through the grueling qualifiers. Even after they qualified, they were the underdogs. In addition, it was the turn of a Chinese team to win, because so far there has been a constant among the winners of the TIs. Since 2011, TI winners have changed every year based on the region the winner is from. One year it was a Chinese team and the next a Western team. OG faced the Chinese team PSG.LGD in the grand final of The International 2018. After OG had fallen behind, the team managed to win the last two games in a row with a series of unbelievable matches and took the trophy despite all the adversities.

Fun, friendship and chaos

Probably the most unusual tournament in the history of Dota 2 is probably the Betway Midas Mode 2. The tournament was organized by Moonduck Studios and took place at the end of last year. First, Moonduck managed to invite some important personalities in the scene. This included the current Champions OG, the original lineups of the TI winning teams Na'Vi and Alliance as well as some of the best streamers and community personalities such as ex-pro SingSing and Twitch great Gorgc. This is very impressive as the sheer courage and determination that it takes to achieve this level of fan service both inside and outside the region is simply phenomenal. When Moonduck announced that sports betting company Betway would sponsor the tournament, the hype surrounding Midas Mode 2.0 only got bigger. This not only gave fans the opportunity to bet on the matches of the pros at esports, but also enabled the production to invest additional budget in the tournament. This increased the quality of the competition immensely.

The tournament and gameplay itself also differed from normal competitions. With an established currency called Moonbucks, teams could choose specific heroes - but the better heroes were usually more expensive. In addition, players could earn Moobucks by completing challenges - for example, walking from one end of the map to the other in the middle of a match. All of this creates pure entertainment for players and spectators. It was a competition focused on creating a good show and the pros played along.

Dota 2 tournaments in history. Photo 1" />

Bugs, Exploits, and Fountain Hooks

The 2013 International saw one of the greatest, yet most controversial moments in the history of Dota 2 esports. It's about the angry, iconic and bizarre Fountain Hook. Natus Vincere (Na'Vi) played in the semi-finals of the winner of The International 2013 against Tongfu with a tactic that surprised the audience. In the third game (it was 1-1 at this point) TongFu took the lead early and got stronger over time. At that point, it seemed like nothing could change the outcome. But with an incredible trick, Na'Vi managed to turn the tables. Using a teleportation spell, Puppey sent his teammate Dendi, who played the hero Pudge, back to his own base - the Fountain. At the same moment, Dendi would use his Meat Hook skill to pull an enemy hero towards him. The interaction also teleported the enemy hero into the fountain. There the enemy hero was quickly wiped out, because the base attacks all enemy units. This caused some discussion, so the mechanics had been removed from Dota 2 with an update shortly after the tournament. Still, it's impressive how much skill and coordination it takes to use this tactic.