Five International 2023 Dark Horses

Dota 2

9 Oct

Harrison Htet

Favourites and dark horses will play a crucial part at The International 2023. As the tournament progresses towards its climax, underdogs tend to get more advantage as most fans and competitors underestimate them. With The International 2023 starting in a few days, the following are considered underdogs of the tournament.

Talon Esports

Talon Esports
Credits: Youtube. hOlyhexOr

In the 2023 DPC region, Talon Esports competed in LANs and showed consistent performance. However, they had a mix of results in their region, which led to them missing out on The Bali Major.

Nonetheless, the team gave a strong performance in the Riyadh Masters 2023, ultimately securing a solid third-place finish. They consist of several high-profile players from SEA, such as Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon and Rafli “Mikoto” Rhaman.

Quest Esports

Quest Esports
Credits Twitter. @questesports_

Quest Esports had a fantastic 2023 DPC season, going from Division II to qualifying for their first Major and The International in their debut year. However, the team had a controversial reputation due to frequently changing players before tournaments.

They recently added a promising offlaner named Tobias "Tobi" Buchner before their TI qualifiers run, and this decision led to great results. The team consists of young, talented rookies eager to make a mark on the scene.

Entity

Entity Esports
Credits: Youtube. @hOlyhexOr

Entity had a lackluster season and got nearly relegated in multiple tours. Their performance in the ESL Pro Tour was disappointing, with early exits. However, after signing Kim "Gabbi" Santos for the TI qualifiers, the team’s results improved immensely.

Gabbi proved to be an excellent addition for them, as he helped them to qualify for The International 2023 without dropping a single series. With Gabbi's experience and the team consisting of top players like Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov, Entity has the potential to make a deep run at the upcoming tournament.

Shopify Rebellion

Shopify Rebellion
Credits: Youtube. @h0lyhex0r

Shopify Rebellion might be a new name in the professional Dota 2 scene, but it mainly consists of the former Evil Geniuses squad. The team secured multiple top finishes in their region in the DPC Tours. They had decent team placement at the DPC Majors.

Unfortunately, after a deep run at DreamLeague Season 19, which saw them finish third, Shopify struggled to maintain their momentum. In the following ESL One tournaments, Shopify had early exits until the recent DreamLeague Season 21.

At DreamLeague Season 21, the team made a deep run against the likes of Tundra Esports and BetBoom Team. Based on their recent match results and the roster’s experience, they have the potential to make a solid run at the tournament.

Tundra Esports

Tundra Esports
Credits: Twitter.@TundraEsports

Surprisingly, Tundra Esports, the current defenders of the Aegis of the Champions are considered underdogs, especially after having their names immortalized on the Aegis of the Champions.

Tundra slowly climbs the placement in the regular DPC Tours. Although they did not make a significant impact at The Lima Major, they secured a fifth to sixth-place finish in The Berlin Major. In The Bali Major, they did even better with a top-three finish.

The team's performance at the ESL One Pro Tour was a bit of a mixed bag. While they placed fourth at DreamLeague Season 19, their performance at the following DreamLeague Season 20 was lacklustre. They also didn't fare well at The Riyadh Masters 2023, where they were eliminated in their first lower-bracket series, resulting in a ninth to twelfth-place finish.

Following the Riyadh Masters 2023, Tundra recruited Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen, a back-to-back TI Champion, to help them defend their title. Thanks to Topson's contribution, the team achieved a respectable fifth to sixth-place position at DreamLeague Season 21. Additionally, if Topson could lead Tundra to its former glory, he would set a new record as a three-time TI champion, the first in history.

With The International starting soon, the aforementioned teams are our picks as the underdogs. You can also let us know your picks for The International 2023 Dark Horses in the comments.

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