Top Safelaners and Offlaners to Watch At The International 2023
In every match, the safelane player played a crucial role and took the responsibility of leading the team to victory. It is often a challenging position, but certain players are more than comfortable taking on this duty. In the 2023 DPC Season, some players made their presence known and shared the spotlight as they headed towards The International 2023. Below, you can find the names of the most prominent safelaners.
Top Safelaners
Pakaz- Evil Geniuses
Pakaz at The International 2022Credits: Valve
At The International 2022, Christian "Pakazs" Savina and his former team, Thunder Awaken, achieved a historic fifth to sixth-place finish for the South American region. The results earned him a contract with Evil Geniuses.
During the early stages of the 2023 DPC Season, EG showed a lot of potential, as they made several deep runs at LANs and dominated their region, securing a top-two finish in their DPC Tours.
However, as the season progressed, EG's results started to decline. Nonetheless, Pakaz is still considered one of the top safelane players in his region, known for his dominant skills on heroes like Terrorblade and Morphling.
23Savage - Talon Esports
23 Savage at The International 2021.Credits: Valve
Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon is known as perhaps one of the most prominent safelaners in the professional scene by becoming the first player to reach 13K MMR. Moreover, he has shown tremendous promise as he helps his team secure multiple top-three finishes at LANs.
His unique farming pattern makes him unpredictable and efficient, coming online faster than opponents expect. 23 is known for his skill with Terrorblade and Faceless Void.
Dyrachyo - Gaimin Gladiators
Dyrachyo at DreamLeague Season 21Credits: Twitter. @GaiminGladiator
Anton "Dyrachyo" Shkredov is one of the most dominant safelaners of the 2023 DPC Season. He has led his team, Gaimin Gladiators, to multiple victories in various LANs throughout the season.
Dyrachyo has a unique approach to playing the safe lane in Dota 2. Unlike most players who prioritise farming before taking risks, Dyrachyo takes as much risk as possible, pushing his hero to the limit. His playstyle often forces his opponents to make hasty decisions, which can ultimately lead to them losing the game. Dyracho admitted in one of his recent interviews that he loves to play Lifestealer.
Yatoro - Team Spirit
Yatoro At The International 2021.Credits: Valve.
The International 2021 Champion, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, is known for his versatile hero pool, which he showcased on the main stage of The International 2021. His versatility allows him to deviate from the meta picks if necessary and develop his playstyle according to the current meta.
Additionally, Yatoro is known for taking calculated risks during the game. He possesses outstanding map awareness, which makes it nearly impossible for the enemy team to gank him.
Top Offlaners
Throughout the 2023 DPC Season, offlaners also played a vital role in helping their team secure victories. They also carried a significant responsibility, without which the safelaners would have had a much harder time. With The International 2023 just a few days away, we present our top picks for the offlaners to watch in the tournament.
Zai - Team Liquid
Team Liquid. ZaiCredits: Twitter.@TeamLiquid
Apart from his charming looks, the offlaner of Team Liquid, Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg, is a deadly force in his role. Often itemizing utility builds, Zai soaks up damage for his team before the skirmish even begins.
Moreover, he hardly crumbles under pressure and can make crucial initiation plays to start skirmishes should the situation arise. Although he has a versatile hero pool, Zai is often known to play Enigma, Beatmaster and Visage.
Gabbi - Entity
Entity Gabbi Dota 2.Credits: Facebook.Gabbidota
Kim "Gabbi" Santos was widely known for his exceptional skills as a safelaner in the SEA region. After being absent from the professional scene since the beginning of the 2023 DPC Season, Gabbi joined Entity as the team's offlaner as they headed into The International 2023 qualifiers.
Despite changing his role, Gabbi showcased his versatility by dominating the lanes with heroes like Earthshaker and Doom. His remarkable efforts proved to be instrumental in helping the team secure their spot in Seattle through the qualifiers.
Collapse - Team Spirit
Collapse Lifting The Aegis Of Champions At The International 2021.Credits: Valve
When Team Spirit got crowned as The International 2021 champions, Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov made a name for himself as an exceptional offlaner. The community praised him for his impressive Magnus plays.
Moreover, the player can initiate skirmishes with brilliant tactics that force the opponents into unfavourable fights or retreats. His initiations often allow his team to secure objectives. Apart from his Magnus, Collapse is also known for his kills on Mars and Tidehunter.
The aforementioned players are our picks for The International 2023, which starts in less than 48 hours. If you think we miss a player, let us know in the comments.
Read More At Strafe Esports: Five Midlaners to Watch at The International 2023
Featured Image Source: Twitter. @teamliquiddota