Most Picked Heroes at The International 2023 Group Stage
As the group stage of The International 2023 concluded, a team from each group faced elimination. Additionally, some heroes also returned to the meta during the group stage.
Bristleback Rocks a Solid Winrate
After the group stage, Bristleback became one of the most sought-after offlaners. The hero is overpowered in the current meta, favouring the physical damage safelaners.
Bristleback.Image Source: Valve
As an offlaner, Bristleback build is simple, efficient, and gets the job done. Most players often build Arcane boots and Vanguard during the laning stage before rushing to Aghanim’s Scepter. With Aghs, the hero does more damage.
Moreover, Bristle becomes an impossible hero to kill in skirmishes when Aghs gets paired with Bloodstone. The hero was picked in 28 matches and had a 46.43% win rate.
The Safelaners
Muerta, Sven, and Chaos Knight.Credits: Valve
Muerta, Sven, and Choas Knight are the top choices as the safelaner in the tournament. Muerta stole the limelight due to her ability to deal physical and magical damage. Moreover, she has silence and fear ability. When paired with Silver Edge, these abilities are the perfect way to counter the overpowered BristleBack.
In addition, Muerta also scales well into the late game, thanks to her Aghanim's Shard that made her ultimate even stronger. Muerta was picked in 26 matches and had a 61.54% win rate.
Silver Edge also has a significant impact on both Sven and Chaos Knight. However, Bristleback can overcome both of these heroes. In the 18 matches that Sven got picked, he won 38.89% of them. On the other hand, Chaos Knight won 65% of the 20 matches where he got picked.
The Midlaners
ES, Pango And Kunkka.Credits: Valve
Kunkka, Pangolier, and Earth Spirit are the top-picked midlaners in the group stage. Although Pangolier received some nerfs, the hero is still viable, as his ultimate ability is a nuisance to deal with at skirmishes. The hero was contested in 23 matches and had a 34.78% win rate.
Kunkka has been a popular midlaner during the group stage thanks to his Tidebringer during the laning stage. In addition to that, he also offers crowd control with his Aghanim Scepter ability, Torrent Storm, which affects a wide area in team fights. His X-Mark the Spot is great for pushing out waves and catching heroes trying to retreat. The hero has a 44% win rate in 25 matches.
Earth Spirit has gradually gained popularity as a midlaner. In The International 2023, the hero is an ideal choice for teams looking to play a fast-paced game because he has a stun, a silence, and a slow. However, it is a risky pick as the hero heavily depends on tempo control, and losing the initiative has dire consequences for the team playing the hero. The hero currently has a 47.62% win rate in 21 matches.
The Supports
Vengeful Spirit is more stunning than ever. (Credit: Valve)Vengeful Spirit was the most picked support hero in the group stage. The reason is primarily due to the hero's ability to reduce the attack damage of enemies, which is especially useful when dealing with physical damage dealers. Additionally, the hero has a stun and can save allies or force opponents into bad positions with its ultimate. Having been played in 28 matches, Vengeful Spirit has a 39.29% win rate.
Following VS, Dark Willow was picked in 24 matches, and she had a 50.00% win rate. Grimstoke is another hero making its way back into the meta. The hero had a 43.48% win rate after getting played in 23 matches. Shadow Demon and Spirit Breaker are also the favourite supports at the tournament.
A few teams tried unconventional mid-lane heroes such as Dazzle and Pugna during The International 2023 group stage. Despite the low pick rate, these heroes achieved positive results. The second phase of the tournament, the seeding decider, will start soon. The second phase will determine which teams will advance to the main stage as it kicks off on October 20th.
Read More At Strafe Esports: Team Spirit Secures A Phase Two Spot At The International 2023
Credits: Valve