ESL One Kuala Lumpur Preview: The Favourites

ESL One Kuala Lumpur is starting in a few days. The tournament features the top twelve teams from around the world, as they will be duking out for their share of the million-dollar prize pool. ESL One Kuala Lumpur will officially mark the start of the 2024 Dota 2 professional season.

The tournament is part of the ESL Pro Tour Season 2. Some of the participating teams stood out due to their unique strategies and in-game execution. Here are the favourites for ESL One Kuala Lumpur:

Gaimin Gladiators

Gaimin Gladiators at the Riyadh Masters 2023, where the team met their first defeat.
Credits: Twitter/@GaiminGladiator

Gaimin Gladiators dominated last year’s Dota 2 professional season. The team took home all the 2023 DPC Major trophies. The team went undefeated for more than half the season.

However, their undefeated streak ended at The Riyadh Masters 2023. They took the runner-up place at The International 2023, falling short against Team Spirit.

Quinn at The International 2023 after securing the top 3.
Credits: Valve

The team recently received a nomination as the best esports team of the year, along with the team’s midlaner and the coach. With Team Spirit not participating in the tournament, Gaimin Gladiators are the heavy favorites to come out on top.

Team Liquid 

iNsania after getting eliminated by Gaimin Gladiators at The International 2023.
Credits: Valve

Team Liquid was a formidable force in the 2023 Dota 2 professional season. The team secured all the runner-up spots in all of Valve’s DPC Majors. Moreover, the team placed in the runner-up spot at The Riyadh Masters 2023, falling short of Team Spirit. However, at The International 2023, the team had a disappointing sixth-place finish.

33 joins Team Liquid.
Credits: Team Liquid

After the tournament, the team went through a roster shuffle, bringing in the former TI champion, Neta "33" Shapira, as their new offlaner. His addition to the team paid dividends, making Liquid qualify for the tournament through the closed qualifiers.

However, he faced a Visa Issue for the tournament. Thus, the team had to bring Jonáš "SabeRLight-" Volek as a standin’ for the tournament. Despite not playing with their main roster for the tournament, Team Liquid still poses a threat to many opponents.

The four players on the main roster are well-known for their individual skills. Moreover, Saberlight has also made a name for himself in the offlane role.

BetBoom Team

BetBoom Team is one of the strongest teams in the Eastern European region. However, throughout the majority of last year’s Dota 2 professional season, they’ve been shadowed by Team Spirit’s triumphs. The team has promising players from the region and is led by the former TI champion, Alexander “TorontoTokyo” Khertek. They even placed a runner-up at DreamLeague Season 20. However, with their nemesis out of the equation, ESL One Kuala Lumpur might be the team’s time to show their full potential.

ESL Kuala Lumpur will officially kick off on December 11. The full schedule for the entire tournament is available on our website. The aforementioned teams are our picks as the favourites for ESL One Kuala Lumpur. If you think we have missed out on a team or have a better list, let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Source: Valve

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