The Favourites for The International 2023
The International 2023 is around the corner. The Internationals 2022 had some issues, but Valve is implementing new and exciting changes for this year's event.
Their first attempt was a complete disaster as the community was displeased with this year’s Compendium.
Nevertheless, the participating teams showed tremendous efforts throughout the year to immortalise their names on the Aegis of Champions.
Among those teams, two teams stand out throughout the entire 2023 DPC Season. The same two teams are also the favourites to lift the converted Aegis of Champions this year.
Team Liquid
Team Liquid secured third place at The International 2022 before undergoing a roster shuffle. As part of their preparations for the 2023 DPC Season, they signed Michał "Nisha" Jankowski from Team Secret. This move positioned Liquid as a top contender for the upcoming DPC season. In the 2023 DPC Season, Liquid had the potential to win all the trophies for the season, with their playstyle based around Nisha.
Liquid.Nisha at The Riyadh Masters 2023Credits:Twitter/@TeamLiquid
DPC Results
They secured a top-seed finish at the Winter Tour and were the favourites for The Lima Major.
The team unfortunately couldn't beat the Gaimin Gladiators in the tournament despite their efforts. After securing another top-seed finish at the Spring Tour, the team again lost to Gaimin in the ESL One Berlin Major grand finals. The team secured a fourth-place finish in their region in the Summer Tour. However, they fell short in the Bali Major grand finals against Gaimin.
Team Liquid lost to Gaimin Gladiators in the grand finals repeatedly, but they never gave up and fought their resilient opponents every chance they got.
ESL Pro League Results
Team Liquid At Riyadh Masters 2023Credits: Twitter/@TeamLiquid
Team Liquid did not perform as well in the ESL Pro Tour compared to their 2023 DPC run. They were unable to overcome their previous DPC grand finals defeats in the DreamLeague Season 19 grand finals.
Additionally, they were eliminated during the group stages in DreamLeague Season 20, showing cracks in their performance.
At the Riyadh Masters 2023, their determination paid off when they successfully defeated their rivals and sent them to the lower bracket in the playoffs. However, despite their best efforts, Liquid could not secure the trophy as they ultimately lost to Team Spirit in the grand finals.
In DreamLeague Season 21, the team got eliminated after the group stages.
Team Liquid has a roster of talented and versatile players who have consistently shown great results throughout the DPC season, making them a top contender for The Internationals 2023.
Gaimin Gladiators
Gaimin Gladiators was the team everyone was trying to beat in the 2023 DPC Season. The team went through a controversial roster shuffle going into the season, yielding tremendous success.
DPC Results
During the start of the 2023 DPC, Team Liquid was in the limelight. However, Gaimin consistently proved to be the better team, dominating every LAN they attended and securing back-to-back-to-back major championship titles. Their record matches the record of OG during its early years.
ESL Pro League Results
Gaimin Gladiators At The Riyadh Masters 2023Credits: Twitter/@GaiminGladiator
GG’s successful season continues in the ESL Pro League. Winning DreamLeague Season 19, the team secured their slot for The Riyadh Masters 2023. They also won DreamLeague Season 20 after a nail-biting grand final against BetBoom Team.
However, their unstoppable streak ended at The Riyadh Masters 2023. After getting knocked down by Team Liquid, Talon Esports eliminated GG in the lower bracket Semifinals.
Nevertheless, the team bounced back at BetBoom Dacha and secured another tournament trophy. In their recent DreamLeague Season 21, they secured a 7-8th place finish.
By adding Quinn “Quinn” Callahan to their roster, the team achieved a caliber most teams strived for. Although Gaimin Gladiators showed their cracks recently, only a few teams have been able to capitalize on it. The prestigious International trophy is the only missing trophy in their collection.
Their desire for it makes Gaimin Gladiators one of the most fearsome teams at The International 2023.
A Little Detail
The International 2023 will officially kick off on 12 October in Seattle. The tournament will feature a new format. Tundra Esports are the current champions of The Internationals, and it will be interesting to see whether they can defend their throne in the tournament.
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Image Source: Tiwtter/@GaiminGladiators