Eighteen teams have assembled in Seattle, Washington, to compete for the greatest prize pool in esports history. The sixth annual International will host the best of the best in Dota 2, and over the course of two weeks, the pool will be whittled down until only one team is left standing to claim the $8 million prize.
It's no secret that this year's International is anyone's game, more so than almost any year before it. The worldwide scene has been strengthened by the addition of the majors, and ranking these teams was a task. Here's our breakdown of where the teams stand on the eve of TI6.
1. OG
There is little doubt that OG is at the height of its game. Coming off the team's second major win of the year at Manila, this squad has stuck it out through thick and thin, and has come out a year later as the favorite for the top spot. Both Johan "n0tail" Sundstein and Amer "Miracle-" Barqawi have excelled in core positions, but every player on this team is a threat, from supports to captain and cores.
2. Newbee
This top Chinese squad rarely makes an appearance outside of its homeland, usually content to keep its secrets close domestically. This is one of the few squads who can reliably take games off every other team in Seattle. With a veteran like Wong "Chuan" Hock Chuan on the roster, and Hu "Kaka" Luangzhi in the captain's seat, Newbee will be looking to be the first team to take home the Aegis twice. With the fast, dominant Dota 2 it's been playing and the results it puts up at every international event, it would be no surprise to see the team in the grand finals.
3. Team Liquid
Liquid seems to be the Dota equivalent of "always a bridesmaid, never a bride." The European pros have looked strong in every showing, always coming within inches of the title just to be knocked out in the grand finals. Still, this many second-place finishes could mean the team comes into Seattle with a chip on its shoulder. Jesse "JerAx" Vainikka has become one of the best four-roles in the game, captain and drafter Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi can work wonders in the pick/bans, and core Lasse "MATUMBAMAN" Urpalainen's wide pool and brutally effective Lycan forces teams to ban or deal with the character. Team Liquid may have been spurned before, but now it's primed and ready.
4. Wings Gaming
Wings has become the team to watch, and gradually, the team to beat. A lackluster showing at Manila might have shaken the faithful a little, but a promising run through the Chinese qualifiers and a win at The Summit 5 reassured the worried. On the back of incredible players like Chu "Shadow" Zeyu and the massive hero pools of every player on the team, Wings are the most likely to shake up the meta and knock off complacent contenders.
5. MVP.Phoenix
MVP.Phoenix will always perform at LANs. The South Korean squad has been holding onto the title of "underdog" throughout the year, putting up solid finishes at tournament after tournament. A year ago, the story was MVP's miraculous run through TI5. This year, with dual cores Pyo "MP" No-a and Kim "QO" Seon-yeob, and an aggressive, consistent playstyle and the rankings this team has put up? MVP could be looking much higher than the middle of the pack.
6. LGD Gaming
Another Chinese squad that hasn't been as prevalent on the international stage, LGD has shown it can hang with the best with a fourth place finish in Manila. There's no doubt that Zhang "xiao8" Ning, captain of LGD, has the experience and draft know-how to lead the team into a solid placing, and the team will need to put up more solid performances if it wants to ascend beyond the upper-middle of the pool. Right now, this lineup has the talent and intelligence, but needs an extra push to make the breakout performance it needs.
7. Natus Vincere
Coming off its first LAN win of the year at the StarLadder grand finals, Na'Vi is riding high. The fresh, aggressive lineup has come into its own over the course of the year, centered around longtime Na'Vi mid laner Danil "Dendi" Ishutin. With former players and new faces on the team, this might actually be the year for fans to exclaim "Na'Vi is back." Natus Vincere is still a dark horse, but perhaps the most promising bet you could make for an upset run for the top.
8. Team Secret
The reformed Team Secret, with Kanishka "BuLba" Sosale in the offlane, put on quite a performance at the recent StarLadder finals. That, combined with a strong run through the EU qualifiers, is enough to at least quiet naysayers who might point to the team's rough outing in Manila. Artour "Arteezy" Babaev has looked particularly impressive, using his mid lane Mirana to great effect, but once again, eyes are on Jacky "EternaLEnVy" Mao to match tempo with Babaev.
9. Evil Geniuses
Clinton "Fear" Loomis slid back into the carry role with ease, and Saahil "UNiVeRsE" Arora has fit back in quite naturally with his former teammates. The biggest question remains, though, if this team can get back into TI-shape. A good showing at StarLadder helped ease worries, but the boys in blue are still working uphill against negative expectations. EG won't enter TI with as impressive a resume as last year's, but don't count them out either.
10. Vici Gaming Reborn
A few weeks ago, VGR could have been much higher on the list, but a variety of factors have made its standing headed into TI6 a little more shaky. Chief among these issues are the visa problems that have been plaguing Vici's offlaner, Zhou "Yang" Haiyang. A crucial cog in Reborn's machine, Yang's appearance in Seattle is still up in the air. Vici Gaming Reborn has put up impressive performances against the likes of Wings and Na'Vi, but inconsistency and outside issues could lead to a rough tournament.
11. Fnatic
The crowd-favorites of SEA are difficult to gauge going into any tournament. The team's results vary, from a solid third place at StarLadder to a seventh/eighth at ESL One Frankfurt, and then back to beating teams like MVP.Phoenix. Look to Yeik "MidOne" Zheng Nai, who has been a huge playmaker for Fnatic in recent series, to make the big wins happen and pull Fnatic ahead of the pack.
12. Digital Chaos
It's a testament to the quality of the overall Dota 2 scene that Digital Chaos sits at this spot on our rankings. An American team that has more than a few victories under its belt, DC sports impressive talent and some big potential for upsets. The greatest stumbling block for this team will be in consistency. Digital Chaos can be a real competitor at The International, but finding its stride will be paramount to making it far in the main event.
13. TnC Gaming
This qualifier squad had an impressive run through the SEA region, taking the top spot over Fnatic to advance straight to The International. TnC is impressive, but also untested. This squad has little experience outside of the SEA region, and will have the most tape to study and prep for.
14. Alliance
Despite being the same squad that took TI3, this reunited Alliance team can't seem to find good footing. Each majors showing for Alliance has been rough, and despite all the right players being in the right place, a mixture of outplays and coordination issues have frequently led to disappointing results. If the crew can pull it together, a solid run at TI6 could be possible -- but as it stands now, that's a tall order.
15. Escape Gaming
The most promising of the four wild-card teams, Escape, has some heavy-hitting talent on its side that could put it over for securing a spot at the main event. Adrian "Era" Kryeziu and the rest are no strangers to competing with the best, and Escape could make a dent in the bracket if it makes it out of the wild-card competition.
16. EHOME
Like most other Chinese teams, EHOME has little stats to back it up outside of its own region. Despite a fourth place finish at the Frankfurt Major, EHOME fell much lower in the major in Shanghai and failed to qualify for Manila. These five players have competed and played with some of the best in China. In group stage of The International? It gets harder to see EHOME making a solid push into the bracket.
17. Complexity
The American hope in the wild card qualifiers has a rough road ahead. After a tough showing in Manila and a 1-2 exit in ESL One Frankfurt, Complexity has struggled to find the push that put it in fourth at Epicenter. The team recently recruited the help of Alan "Nahaz" Bester to coach, and cores Rasmus "Chessie" Blomdin and Linus "Limmp" Blomdin have had some impressive showings recently. It's a tough road, but Complexity has the tools to make it if everything aligns perfectly.
18. Execration
The last team on our list has the toughest road ahead, with little international experience and little to show in the way of quality wins. But bigger runs have been built on less at The International, where less tape on a team could mean a significant advantage going in. There's little reason to suspect it might happen, but it's always a joy to be proven wrong and see a team make a name for itself on the big stage in Seattle.