Team Liquid is one of the most storied organisations when it comes down to their history at The International.
Their flag has flown high on the TI stage since 2013 and through all the editions that they attended, they never placed below top 8 except for TI4. The TI7 Aegis of Champions is proudly sitting in their trophy case and heading into TI13 they are once again one of the favourites at the title.
How it started
Before looking into how the current competitive season shaped up for Team Liquid, let’s remember that in the 2023 season the Dota 2 scene witnessed the biggest rivalry unfolding throughout the entire year. Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators reached the grand finals of every single major tournament, with the latter winning every time. The rivalry carried through TI12, where Gaimin landed the most important win against Liquid, eliminating them from the pinnacle tournament of the year in the top 6.
That was the most painful loss for Liquid, and heading into the new season, changes were in order. Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg retired from competitive play, leaving not only the offlane role vacant but also a bunch of other in-game attributions.
His place was taken by The International 2022 champion Neta “33” Shapira, who came from Tundra Esports.
Team Liquid roster
Micke “miCKe” Vu
Michał “Nisha” Jankowski
Neta “33” Shapira
Samuel “Boxi” Svahn
Aydin “iNsania” Sarkohi
coach: William “BlitZ” Lee
How it went
Team Liquid have a unique cohesion recipe in the current Dota 2 landscape. Their foundation lays on a trio formed by miCke, Boxi and Insania, who have been together since the 2017 Alliance days. miCKe and Insania go even further back to the HoN era, from where they transitioned as a duo to Dota 2.
That translates into their gameplay and that’s what makes Liquid’s safe lane one of the strongest you can find among all the teams. Their lane synergy is unmatched, and even when the early game might go poorly for them, you will rarely see a support player excelling at securing comeback ways for his carry like Insania does.
However, having such a trio foundation might get tricky when new players have to be introduced into the roster, as both the old and the new members need to make an effort to adjust to the new setting.
