Six players to watch at TI 6

The hype surrounding The International is getting greater by the day. Alongside the old dogs, 2016 saw plenty of fresh talent rise out of the lower level teams and it will be interesting to see how they perform. Here are the hottest names that you may want to keep an eye on when the battle for the Aegis begins.

 

Previous teams: CDEC Gaming, LGD.CDEC, LGD, Vici Gaming

Signature heroes: Shadow Fiend, Storm Spirit, Dragon Knight

Most played heroes 2016: Invoker (34 games), Lina (9 games), Dragon Knight (9 games), Puck (9 games), Death Prophet (9 games)

2016 stats:

Maybe entered the pro scene at the age of 18 when he was recruited from VG in 2013 and has spent most of his time playing for LGD.

Maybe is considered one of the best Mid players currently and his performance in the Manila Major was pivotal as his team finished in 4^th place. He topped the individual charts for KDA, Kills, GPM, XPM and average last hits in the tournament. He also had to compensate for his teammate Agressif, who had a lackluster tournament altogether. At times, he led his team almost single-handedly and he could easily be considered as one of the tournament MVPs.

Maybe is in great form right now and both his teammates and fans hope that he will transfer this to the Main Event next month.

Previous teams: 5Jungz, hehe united, Basically Unknown, Aftershock Gaming, Vast Cast

Signature heroes: Dark Seer, Clockwerk, Tusk

Most played heroes 2016: Nature’s Prophet (28 games), Dark Seer (26 games), Beastmaster (17 games)

2016 stats:

A key part of one of the strongest teams right now, MinD_ContRoL is one of the players who rather unfairly receives little recognition. Not famous for flashy plays, he provides a consistent and stable level of performance and is also capable of cunning one-on-one moves.

He was part of several lower tier teams before he got spotted by Kuroky in the post TI 5 shuffle. It was then when he became part of 5Jungz, which was soon picked up by the Team Liquid eSports organization. MinD_ContRoL has been part of the team since last October and has developed alongside his teammates to enable Team Liquid to reach the highest level in Dota 2.

Usually his role in the team is to create space as an Offlaner as well as split push. Nevertheless, he almost always participates in team fights when needed and his calculated and reliable play has won quite a few games.

Previous teams: MSI-EvoGT, Rave, EoT Hammer

Signature heroes: Enigma, Enchantress, Earth Spirit

Most played heroes 2016: Earth Spirit (23 games), Chen (21 games), Enchantress (18 games)

2016 stats:

DJ is a young player from the SEA region, who was chosen by Mushi to enter the ranks of Fnatic in order for the team to pursue international recognition. Prior to that, he had been in three other teams in his career and he mainly performed on his home stage. He has been with Fnatic for almost a year now and has been an integral part of the team’s achievements.

Although a Support player, he is prone to farming. DJ became prominent during the Manila Major where his individual performances (such as the low ground Black Hole with Enigma) forced turnarounds in games and put him in the spotlight.

During the TI 6 Qualifiers, he showed that he is capable of the same with Earth Spirit and helped his team in moments of hardship.

Previous teams: (monkey) Business, Balkan Bears

Signature heroes: Shadow Fiend, Slark, Anti Mage

Most played heroes 2016: Juggernaut (7 games), Invoker (7 games), Templar Assassin (6 games)

2016 stats:

Miracle- is probably the most talked about name in the Dota 2 scene currently. The player emerged as part of the roster of the newly formed (monkey) Business, which later turned into OG. Prior to that, he played for just one team – Balkan Bears – before he was noticed by Fly.

Miracle- is considered by many to be the most skillful Dota 2 player right now. He is OG’s playmaker and the team relies heavily on his performances, particularly during the mid and late game. The team’s growth and development have seen Miracle- develop as well – he is often rotated in the Hard Carry role and during their successful ESL One Frankfurt campaign, he played as a Support during one of the games in the Grand Finals.

Apart from his high skill level cap, he also has a wide hero pool and during ESL One Frankfurt he played with a different hero in each of his team’s nine games. Although there are a few players who could be said to be close to him in skill, his consistently high performances are what sets him apart from the rest of the top players.

Previous teams: (monkey) Business, Lianghao, Meet Your Makers, Team Life, Mousesports, Lions Pride, DD.Dota, H2k Gaming, We haz Asian

Signature heroes: Io, Rubick, Earth Spirit

Most played heroes 2016: Earth Spirit (30 games), Io (19 games), Elder Titan (10 games)

2016 stats:

Before joining (monkey) Business and subsequently OG, Cr1t- migrated from team to team in the lower echelons of Dota 2. Like Miracle-, he was noticed by Fly and picked up in August last year. Alongside his teammate Fly, he is considered to be one of the best Supports currently. They show great in-game understanding and Cr1t- plays an important role for his team during the laning phase in the early game.

One of the heroes with whom he shines is Earth Spirit. Prior to 2016, Cr1t- hadn’t played this hero in a competitive game, but quickly mastered him and turned him into one of the most feared roaming Supports, whose ganks are on point and result in enemy deaths.

Previous teams: 5inQ, FXOpen e-Sports

Signature heroes: Templar Assassin, Slark, Queen of Pain

Most played heroes 2016: Death Prophet (17 games), Spectre (15 games), Outworld Destroyer (14 games)

2016 stats:

QO experienced the feeling of playing on The International stage last year when, against all the odds, the underdog Korean team reached 7-8^th place – the same as the super favourites Team Secret.

A year later, having won two Premier Dota 2 tournaments and playing on par with the best Dota 2 teams, a 7-8^th finish would be considered rather disappointing for the Koreans. The former captain QO has been one of the pillars upon which this growth has been built over the last two years. QO’s playstyle is reflected in the team’s playstyle – aggression from the first second of the game.

He is prone to high-risk high-reward moves, such as early tower diving which can pay off or bring the team into an early disadvantage. Winning or losing, QO likes to fight, which is always a delight for the fans.