Team Liquid wins TI13 defeating Gaimin Gladiators 3-0 in the Grand Finals

Dota 2

15 Sep

Ahmed Alghanim

The International 2024 has come to a thrilling end with Team Liquid securing a dominant 3-0 victory over their longtime rivals, Gaimin Gladiators. In doing so, Team Liquid made history, becoming the third organization ever to win The International twice, joining the ranks of OG and Team Spirit.

Their journey showcases the power of unity, learning from setbacks, and progressing as a cohesive team to achieve success. In this article, we’ll explore the rich history between Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators, break down the Finals, and revisit one of the most emotional speeches in Dota 2 history, delivered by their coach, William "Blitz" Lee.

Team Liquid winners of The International 2024

Team Liquid - The Winners of The International 2024. (Credit: Valve)

The History Behind Gaimin Gladiators and Team Liquid's Rivalry

The storied rivalry between Gaimin Gladiators and Team Liquid began at the Lima Major 2023, where Gaimin Gladiators won with a clean 3-0 sweep. This marked the start of a series of painful defeats for Liquid. At DreamLeague Season 19, Liquid put up a stronger fight, pushing the series to five games, but ultimately fell 3-2. A month later, at ESL One Berlin Major 2023, Gaimin Gladiators again bested Liquid, securing a 3-1 victory and leaving little room for a comeback. The pattern continued at the Bali Major 2023, where Liquid once more reached the finals, only to be defeated 3-1 by their rivals.

Most recently, just two months ago at the Esports World Cup 2024, Gaimin Gladiators delivered yet another resounding 3-0 sweep over Liquid, cementing their position as Team Liquid's bane and kryptonite.

However, when it mattered the most—at The International 2024, the pinnacle of Dota 2 competition—Liquid defied the odds. In a highly anticipated grand final, Liquid demonstrated just how much they had grown as a team, overcoming their past struggles and showing peak performance. They went undefeated throughout the entire playoff stage, not dropping a single match, and claimed their long-awaited redemption by winning The International 2024, a victory that secured their place in history.

Game 1: Liquid’s Patience Pays Off, Outplaying Gaimin Gladiators in Style

This time Boxi had enough of Gaimin Gladiators. (Credits: Valve)

Gaimin Gladiators surprised everyone by last-picking Rikimaru for Quinn "Quinn" Callahan to counter Michał "Nisha" Jankowski's dominant Puck. The game started evenly with small skirmishes, but by the 15-minute mark, Gaimin Gladiators began to pull ahead. Thanks to Chen's auras and sustain, they secured a 5k lead in early team fights.

Liquid, recognizing their disadvantage in head-on fights, shifted strategy by splitting the map and isolating enemies. At 17 minutes, they outplayed Gaimin Gladiators, evening the game and gaining the necessary items for full team fights. With Tusk and Visage leading the charge, Liquid pushed objectives efficiently, closing out the first game in just 30 minutes with a decisive victory.

Game 2: Bristleback Unleashed as Liquid Locks Down the Map

miCKe's Nature Prophet leaves Gaimin Gladiators with nowhere to hide. (Credit: Valve)

In Game 2, Gaimin Gladiators picked Puck to deny it from Nisha and secured the tournament’s most banned hero, Naga Siren, for support. Despite a slow start with few kills, Team Liquid capitalized on Shadow Demon’s stacking ability to give Bristleback a huge net worth lead, allowing him to acquire an Aghanim’s Scepter by the 12-minute mark. With this early advantage, Liquid swiftly took control, focusing on objectives and map dominance, leaving Gaimin Gladiators with limited space to farm.

By minute 22, Liquid had destroyed the first set of barracks. Although Gaimin Gladiators were able to mount a defense, it wasn’t enough. Team Liquid, led by an unstoppable Bristleback supported by Shadow Demon and Tusk, maintained full control of the game. Gradually, they outscaled and out-farmed Gaimin Gladiators, sealing the victory at minute 44.

Game 3: Nisha’s Masterclass Secures Liquid’s Championship Run

Nisha’s Puck: catch me if you can, Gaimin! (Credit: X/@teamliquiddota)

Game 3 featured signature picks—Pangolier for Quinn and Puck for Nisha. Gaimin Gladiators started strong by repeatedly shutting down Nature's Prophet, stifling his farm early on. However, a critical misstep occurred at 12 minutes when Gaimin Gladiators' failed attempt to catch Puck in the mid-lane led to a near wipe, with only Pangolier surviving.

The turning point came at 17 minutes when Nisha landed a perfect 3-man Dream Coil, followed by Dark Willow’s Terrorize, resulting in a near wipe of Gaimin Gladiators. From there, it was the Nisha show, as he relentlessly caught Gladiators off-guard across the map. A failed smoke attempt by Gaimin Gladiators at 30 minutes sealed their fate, as Liquid was prepared this time. They unleashed another devastating 4-man Coil and Terrorize combo, extending their lead to 20k gold and securing the win.

From Struggles to Triumph, Blitz’s Words Capture Liquid’s Spirit

Blitz showed us all what true gratitude looks like with his touching speech. (Credit: Valve)

Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi, Samuel "Boxi" Svahn, and Michael "miCKe" Vu made history by becoming the longest-standing trio in competitive Dota 2. Their journey was far from easy, filled with countless challenges, but they persevered together, each contributing to this monumental victory. While many players expressed their gratitude to family and fans from the side of Liquid. It was their coach, Blitz, who delivered an emotional and heartfelt speech that resonated with everyone:

"I feel like they took a chance on a guy who’s never coached a winning team before. We had so many losses and went five years without winning anything. And we could’ve disbanded 20 different times like people told us to. We didn’t even make a TI, and Liquid still kept us on. I didn’t do anything here; I’m just so glad that people like Zai, Nisha, Matu—they took a chance on us and were willing to play with us. And I’m so glad that I didn’t ruin Nisha’s career."

"I also just want to thank our support staff and everyone at Team Liquid who has been here to support us. It truly takes a village. I’m not good enough by myself, but I’ve learned you have to do it with others and succeed with everyone around you. I’m good enough to admit that I’m sh*t, but I’ve got great people around me."

With that speech, The International 2024 crowned its champion—Team Liquid. A team that, despite five long years of struggles, stayed together and returned in the most spectacular way possible to claim the most prestigious title in Dota 2. The International 2024 wasn't just a victory, it was the culmination of resilience, teamwork, and unwavering belief in each other.