Layla made history: The highest achievement by a woman on the Dota 2 pro scene

Marielle “Layla” Louise made Dota 2 history as the first woman to qualify for one of Valve's Major Series tournaments. This marked the greatest achievement among female cyber athletes on the Dota 2 pro scene in the history of the game.

It happened in March 2017 when her team Wheel Whreck While Whistling successfully passed the open qualification for The Kiev Major in the North American region.

Layla's team finished second in the first open qualifier, beating a host of competitive lineups, including the Vegetables Esports Club team, which included well-known media personalities of the Dota 2 scene - William “Blitz” Lee and Austin “Capitalist” Walsh. Notably, Vegetables refused to participate in the final game, which paved the way for Leila's team to advance to the next stage.

However, Wheel Whreck While Whistling failed to pick up a single win at the closed qualification stage, losing to professional teams in the region, including compLexity Gaming.

Despite this, the very fact that Layla participated in such a prestigious stage of the competition was the most significant achievement for women's cybersport in Dota 2.