The most iconic highlights of The International

The International Dota 2's championship event has been over the years something that the fans have looked forward to and gone home with great memories. Whether it was a comeback from nowhere or a cracked battle of tension towards the end, this tournament has been about the best of eSports this world has seen. These are some of the supreme moments of The International Dota 2 Championship from 2013 to 2023.

2013: Million Dollars Dreamcoil

The International 2013 saw one of the most thrilling matches in Dota 2 history during the Playoff Finals between Alliance and Natus Vincere (Na'Vi). With the series tied at 2-2, the final game culminated in a dramatic base race that had fans on the edge of their seats. Alliance's split-push strategy, led by AdmiralBulldog's Nature's Prophet and s4's Puck, forced Na'Vi into a desperate defense. In the final moments, s4's iconic Dream Coil stun interrupted Na'Vi's teleportations, securing a victory for Alliance and their place in Dota 2 history.

2014: Newbee's Lower Bracket Victory

As for Newbee they are not best the best when it comes to the analytical phase. They were cobbling together a few victories, but the main problem was that they had to fight twice in the elimination bracket. It was the Time when Newbee had one of the most impressive lower bracket runs in the history of TIs, taking down such teams as Vici Gaming or Evil Geniuses to make it to the Grand Finals. As it turned out, it was not Vici gaming that stood in the way but more of exquisite Newbee edged past them this time with a 3:1 scorein the series of fights that went on to be regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the international’s.

2016: Evil Geniuses' "6 Million Dollar Echo Slam"

The problem of this victory is that although the International 2015 concluded with a victory for Evil Genuises, it was the event of 2016 which brought one more famous episode in Dota 2 history. And in the Lower Bracket Finals against EHOME, EG were losing badly when Universe made one of the most amazing Earthshaker "Echo Slams" that caught four heroes and utterly changed the course of the match. At that point, we had shaken on what in time became known as the “6 Million Dollar Echo Slam”, which became one of Dota 2 myths, where, indeed, the myth of the “EG coming back” truly began to take shape.

2017: Liquid’s Clear Victory

Team Liquid's crowning achievement at The International 2017 came as a fitting conclusion to one of the best performances ever witnessed regarding the tournament. After watching and losing all the going rounds, Liquid managed to fight to the Grand Finals standing opposite newbee. In an unprecedented 3-0 sweep Liquid took out their opponents with pinpoint precision. This not only received accolades in form of clean sweep as it was also the first time Liquid showed persistence and change in approach towards the tournament.

2018: OG’s Incredible Story

The International Tournament held in 2018 will always be remembered as the defining moment for the rise of one of the greatest stories about underdogs, in the esports tournament — OG. With their last time roster changes, most considered them as underdogs. But with ana's clutch makings, Topson's weird mid heroes and Ceb's speeches, none of the predictions came true. Their Grand Finals match against PSG.LGD, during which ana's Io made for one of the greatest comebacks in the tournament history and turned the game in favor of OG, also remains one of the most dramatic moments worth remembering. The feelings of uncertainty and eventual victory over them, making them champions, will be remembered by fans all over the globe.

2019: OG's Back-to-Back Victory

Occupying such an oblivious position is only acceptable if one has facts to support the assertion. By way of comparison, if their 2018 triumph was Cinderella, then mainstay OG of Evil Geniuses in 2019 stood on everyone’s shoulder. Becoming the first two-time winner at the International, OG secured the very first and, as it is now ominous to state, last victory with such radical changes in Dota 2. The Grand Finals against the team Liquid was won by OG’s excellent counterbrains with a score of 3-1. It was sensational match full of wonder plays, especially by Ceb in offlane, and plenty of hero swapping by Topson at the Grand Finals. This win made OG two-time TI champions and undoubted Dota 2 legends.

2021: Collapse’s Legendary Magnus Plays

The International returned in 2021 after a pandemic-induced hiatus, and it was worth the wait. Team Spirit, a relatively unknown team, made their way to the finals to face the heavily favored PSG.LGD. In the deciding game, Team Spirit’s offlaner Collapse delivered a masterclass on Magnus, using Skewer and Reverse Polarity to single-handedly turn fights in his team’s favor. These plays, dubbed "Collapse’s Magnuses," became instantly iconic, and Team Spirit’s unlikely 3-2 victory over PSG.LGD etched their names in TI history.

2022: Tundra's Versatile Hero Play

A new epoch of tactical experience in Dota 2 was launched with the International 2022 where the Tundra Esports team demonstrated an entire new level of team coordination and strategy. Also captioned as master managers of tempo through their efficient drafts, the path to Aegis for Tundra was full of nearly perfect road shows. In the Grand Finals against Team Secret, they 3-0’ed them with players such as Nine and 33 topping up the performance of the rest players by multi hero roles. Tundra’s solid game sense and coordination will remain memorable for one of the cleanest victories of the TI as Tundra did not leave even the slightest chance to the opponents.

2023: Yatoro’s Double Rampage in the Grand Finals

At the Grand Finals of The International 2023, Illia “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, carry of Team Spirit, opened the highlight reel with a sick play in the second game. Performing as Faceless Void, the Ukrainian esports player scored a Double Rampage which involved killing six of the opposing players instead of the normal five.

Conclusion

The International is not just a tournament; it is an active site for legends and memories which have firmly placed themselves in the history of esports. From the base race of Alliance to the back-to-back wins of OG, and Yatoro amassing a Double Rampage, these hits help to comprehend the reason why The International is the most prestigious and coveted tournament in Dota 2. The tournament keeps changing and the fans look forward to the next part of this great saga.