Strafe Selections: Best Dota 2 Teams of 2023
The competitive year of Dota 2 ended with The International 2023. With the year coming to an end, who would you choose as the best Dota 2 teams of 2023?
Criteria to Pick the Best Dota 2 Teams of 2023
Is there an exact criteria to pick a team to rank as the best? Not sure if there is, but let's see what we could use to pick our best teams.
- Achievements during 2023
- DPC standings
- Consistency and team growth
Many changed rosters during the DPC season, but some didn't. This will play an integral role in today's ranking.
Gaimin Gladiators
Gaimin Gladiators at The International 2023 Credit: Gaimin Gladiators
Gaimin Gladiators are undoubtedly the best team this year. Yes, they didn't win TI, but they are only the second team to win three consecutive Majors, dominating the 2023 DPC. The Gladiators also won 2 of 3 DreamLeague tournaments and then BetBoom Dacha. This achievement was recognized by The Game Awards and the team was nominated for the Best Esports team of 2023.
GG's routine playstyle had them closing out games within 20 to 30 minutes, and though other teams like Team Liquid were aware of it, they couldn't stop GG from snowballing.
But apart from these reasons, GG has been one of the most consistent teams since the addition of Quinn and Aske "Cy-" Larsen in December of 2022. Since then, GG has had a win rate of 62% and has earned approximately 3.2 million USD.
Team Spirit
Team Spirit with their Second AegisCredits: Team Spirit
Team Spirit is the second team to win two TI's. Though their second TI win was with the addition of a new mid, Team Spirit will share the title of 'The Best Team in the History of Dota 2' alongside OG.
Spirit did not have a good DPC season this year but earned enough points to get a TI invite. However, their performance only started to grow after the three Majors. They entered the Riyadh Masters and qualified for the Upper Bracket. With everyone concentrating on the GG-Liquid rivalry, Spirit breezed through and beat Liquid twice to win the tournament.
Team Spirit went on to win DreamLeague S21 again with an Upper Bracket run.
Team Spirit's first TI win was nothing short of a surprise to the Dota 2 world. They were a new team that managed to claw through the TI qualifiers to participate in the tournament. But this time, we saw a mature Team Spirit who knew their way around The International. With an unwavering mindset to endure their losses and keep pushing, they progressed through the Upper Bracket and won TI 3-0 against GG.
With three consecutive tournament wins, Team Spirit took a spot as one of the Best Dota 2 teams of 2023. They closed the year with a 58% win rate and approximately 7 million USD in earnings.
Team Liquid
Team Liquid at The International 2023 Credit: Valve
Team Liquid is one of the most prominent teams in competitive Dota 2. Though they have seen little success since their 2016-2017 run, the renewed 2023 squad were favorites throughout the DPC and were Gaimin Gladiators' nemesis. The Liquid squad has been the most consistent team, topping the 2023 DPC ranking. Their only problem was choking in the Grand Finals.
Liquid was the only team that had the potential to rival the likes of Gaimin Gladiators. Taking them on in the Grand Finals at all three Majors and DreamLeague S19, Liquid couldn't slay their rival.
But Liquid got some redemption when they beat GG in Riyadh Masters. They moved on to secure their Grand Final spot against Team Spirit and lost to them.
Being no.1 in the DPC, Liquid received their invite to The International 2023. Here, they topped their Group and beat EG in a decider to secure their Upper Bracket spot. Team Spirit, however, stopped Liquid and dropped them to the Lower Bracket, where the Gladiators landed the final blow, knocking Team Liquid out of TI.
Getting placed 5th in TI, Liquid ended the year with a 59% win rate and earned an estimated 3.3 million USD.
Ranking the Best Dota 2 Teams of 2023
These three teams were the Best Dota 2 Teams of 2023. Other teams had the potential to take the top spot but fell short along the way. BetBoom Team and Talon Esports were two such teams that could have gone all the way but didn't have the discipline to stay consistent throughout the year.
It is hard to rank the best Dota 2 teams of 2023 since they all created an impact at different times, but if it came down to achievements, it would be:
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Team Spirit
- Team Liquid
Do you think this ranking is justified? Or do you think another team should be in the Top 3 spot? Let us know!
Credit: The International 2023, Dota 2 // Valve