DotA 2 has been around for a very long time, with countless outplays and moments that bring out the best the game has to offer. With a long list of pros trying to make history, comes the greatest moments that defined who they were and why they came here. Every moment has a story and we’re for it. Let’s now delve into the top 20 moments that have defined the game.
20. Arteezy 1v5’s Vici Gaming (The International 9 – 2019)
Arteezy rampage.
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Even in the early days of TI9, the group stage games did not let us down. Arteezy was no exception. Despite being alone against five members of Vici Gaming, his Lifestealer showed us why he is one of the greatest position 1 players in the game. After getting out from his teammate S4 through Infest, Arteezy immediately activated Rage and started mowing down the lowest health enemies. Through his passive life steal from Feast, the monster mowed down every single enemy that tried to take him down, earning him a rampage.
19. Miracle Single-Handedly Kills Forward Gaming (ESL One Birmingham – 2019)
Miracle solo rampage.
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Usually in a team game, you’d expect everyone to be present during team fights. But not for Miracle. After getting a double damage rune, Miracle marched toward enemy territory and picked them off one by one. His insane damage from the rune and Arcane Orb shredded each enemy, coupled with his defensive Black King Bar. After being almost taken down, his Scythe of Vyse came in clutch as he was able to take down the last enemy Juggernaut with ease.
18. Boxi and Taiga 2v5 to Save the Game (DreamLeague Season 13: The Leipzig Major – 2019)
Liquid 2v5 base defense.
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Facing off against a full enemy team bound for their Ancient, Boxi and Taiga took it upon themselves to save the game. Boxi spammed Corrosive Haze and Slithereen Crush on the enemies focusing on the Ancient and its towers while Taiga gunned them down with his upgraded Shadow Realm. In a nail-biting sequence, the duo successfully defended the Ancient up until it was just about three hits away from going down. The feat led them to a group stage win in a dreadful 72-minute brawl.
17. Gh and MinD_ContRoL Shows Up Beautifully (Bukovel Minor WePlay! – 2020)
Nigma duo shows up.
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DotA 2 is full of heroes who have abilities that can define team fights. This particular match was from game 4 of the finals of the tournament. As RNG was starting to gain ground on Team Nigma’s base, MinD_ContRoL’s vacuum sucked every single member of RNG towards his Wall of Replica, making them susceptible to Gh’s Echo Slam. The rest of Team Nigma followed suit, stopping RNG’s push and eventually taking their Ancient
16. Team Spirits Sets Up Yatoro for the Rampage (The International 10 – 2021)
Team Spirit's beautiful set up.
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This game was the lower bracket finals for Team Spirit and Team Secret. A highly nerve-wracking series that ended with this single play. The fight starts off as Puppey gets caught with Mira's bramble maze, ensuring his demise. With this, Torontotokyo’s Storm Spirit follows up, along with Miposhka’s Winter’s Curse. While three Team Secret members were caught, Collapse’s Reverse Polarity stuns them long enough for Yatoro’s Sven to cleave and finish them all. Team Spirit then went on to win the series and eventually, TI10.
15. w33’s Timbersaw Jukes the Entirety of Team Liquid (DreamLeague Season 7 – 2017)
w33 jukes Liquid.
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When you’re already one of the greatest mid laners in the game, you know you have to show off. w33’s Timbersaw was a spectacle to watch in game 1 of the DreamLeague Season 7 finals. Being alone in a 1v5, w33 singlehandedly juked Team Liquid as he slowly killed and forced them to retreat. His excellent use of Timbersaw’s Timber Chain allowed him to navigate the map and his timing in activating his Eul’s Scepter of Divinity and Lotus Orb allowed him to dodge devastating blows, debuff negative effects, and effectively survive.
14. Team Empire and Team Secret’s Back and Forth (ESL One Manila – 2016)
Back-and-forth Black Hole.
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DotA 2’s team fights are volatile, meaning fights can be easily turned around by the team that plays the fight better. In game 2 of ESL One Manila, Team Secret desperately tried to catch Ramzes666’s Spectre, a feat that would tip the scales in their favor. After using Blackhole and Deafening Blast on Ramzes666, KingR steals Blackhole from Puppey’s Enigma and catches all five members of Team Secret. This allowed the rest of Team Empire to catch up and clean up the mess.
13. Gabbi’s Puck Crushes MVP (Tournament MGPL Dota 2 – 2016)
Gabbi jukes MVP.
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Starting from a losing fight, Gabbi’s death seemed inevitable. Left alone against 4 members of MVP, Gabbi took matters into his own hands and utilized his skills, items, and terrain perfectly. With his timely buy of the Blink Dagger and excellent usage of Phase Shift and Magic Wand, Gabbi was able to outplay the living hell out of MVP.
12. Kaka’s Clutch Save Wipes Out EG (The International 7 – 2017)
kaka's game-winning save.
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EG’s push seemed almost certain as they made their way into Newbee’s tier 3 tower. With all of EG collapsing on kpii, their victory was almost assured. But this was when kaka took matters into his own hands. With his skill Enchant Remnant, he was able to make kpii invulnerable. He then pushed him out of harm’s way with Boulder Smash, effectively saving the low HP Bristleback. With most of EG’s skills depleted from that one engagement, the rest of Newbee was able to capitalize on kaka’s sacrifice and wipe them all out.
11. Miracle’s SF Runs Circles Around Alliance (ASUS ROG DreamLeague Season 6 – 2016)
Miracle's great escape.
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When you’re just one of the greats, you deserve a spot on this list. Miracle once again styling on Alliance through his extensive knowledge of the terrain and his cooldowns. After running away from a losing fight, Miracle tries to teleport away but is thwarted by Limmp’s Alchemist. He then uses one of Manta Style’s illusions in order to fool Limmp that he is running away. Once he does this, he moves up and casually blinks away from EGM’s Chaotic Offering, wasting a crucial skill of the enemy. He then casually kills a courier and gh gets him to safety. Another day in the life of a pro.
10. S4’s Puck’s Million Dollar Dream Coil (The International 3 – 2013)
The million dollar Dream Coil.
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It was a heated series between Alliance and Na`Vi. Game 5 of the finals of TI3, and the stakes were getting higher. Na`Vi was advancing in the mid lane while Alliance had its eyes set on taking the top and bottom tier 3 towers. Na`Vi, despite their countless efforts, have had their top and bottom lanes pushed out by three members of Alliance. With this base race, S4 started taking matters into his own hands, preventing Na`Vi from returning home to defend, eventually winning the game, the series, and the aegis.
9. “The Play” (The International 2 – 2012)
Na`Vi turns around the fight.
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Na`Vi and Invictus Gaming met at the winner’s bracket semifinals where one of the most iconic plays in DotA 2 history went down. IG wanted to catch Na`Vi off guard. With a smoke play, the entirety of iG led by Zhou’s Song of the Siren caught all of Na`Vi disabled. When Faith used Ravage on everyone, this prompted LightofHeaven to immediately use BKB and cast Black Hole. Followed up by Dendi’s Ravage steal, and the rest was history.
8. Fnatic’s Comeback Against Team Secret (ESL One Katowice – 2018)
Echo Slamma Jamma.
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The final moments of the game 3 between Fnatic and Team Secret came not just with an exciting ending, but a hilarious commentary presented by the Filipino duo Lon and Dunno. Their commentary was immortalized through chat wheel options that even the pros use, without understanding their meaning. But with the commentary, came one of the most intense fights in DotA 2 history. After a back-and-forth between the two teams, Fnatic’s Ancient rush was the deciding factor.
7. Dendi and Puppey’s Fountain Hook (The International 3 – 2013)
Na`Vi's iconic duo shows up.
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Dendi and Puppey has always been that duo. One of the most iconic players in DotA 2 history cooked up a storm in TI3 when they utilized Chen’s Test of Faith which teleports an ally to the base after a short delay, and Pudge’s Meat Hook. Through precise timing, the duo was able to pick off important enemies and send them to the fountain for an easy kill. Through this strategy, they were able to secure the win in most of the most controversial ones we’ve seen yet.
6. Team Liquid and Thunder Awaken Brawl It Out (The International 11 – 2022)
MATUMBAMAN'S game-winning save.
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Thunder starts it off by using Black Hole on the m1CKe, a crucial part of Liquid. Just as everything was about to go dark, MATUMBAMAN’s Infest saves m1CKe just by a sliver of health, which then prompts the two teams to battle it out. With Thunder’s skills depleted from that failed pick-off, Liquid rushes to the Ancient and takes it out.
5. Na`Vi Counter TongFu’s Engage (The International 2 - 2012)
Na`Vi once again turns around the fight.
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Having two Na`Vi highlights in this list speaks to how much that roster dominated DotA 2 back then. Once again, after getting caught with the Song of the Siren, Na`Vi manages to counter and retaliate. Once the song ended, LightofHeaven immediately turned by using Vacuum on all five members of TongFu followed by his Wall of Replica. Puppey instantly responded with a Black Hole of his own, securing the fight for Na`Vi in one of the most coordinated team fights ever.
4. EG’s Insane Mega Creeps Comeback Against Ehome (The International 6 – 2016)
EG's cheese comeback.
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EG’s base was in shambles. Ehome had pushed them to the brink of defeat. But with an unusual strategy with the use of multiple Dagons, EG managed to take the win. With this intense back-and-forth between bases and the presence of mega creeps, EG’s win was surely one of the books.
3. Universe’s $6,000,000 Echo Slam (The International 5 – 2015)
The 6 million dollar Echo Slam.
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When a play is that iconic, it deserves its own name. In game 4 of the grand finals of TI5, EG went up against CDEC eager to win, and this moment is hard proof of that. With ppd’s Ice Vortex, Universe gains vision of the heroes under the Roshan Pit. With this information, he blinks in and unleashes what is known today as the $6,000,000 Echo Slam that won EG the series.
2. Nigma’s Base Defense Against Alliance (WePlay! OMEGA League – 2020)
Nigma's insane base defense.
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When we’re talking about nail-biting, this is nail-biting. In game 1 of their match against Alliance, Nigma was pushed to the brink of defeat as the enemy was close to destroying their Ancient. But one man stood in their way, Miracle. With his pixel-perfect use of Magnetic Field, Alliance’s auto attacks were rendered useless due to its ability to block damage. This prevented the Ancient from taking any damage. With everyone else battling everyone else, Miracle consistently used his Magnetic Field and Tempest Double to ensure that the Ancient lives. With everyone from Alliance buying and dying back, their Ancient was clear for the taking.
1. Ceb with the Call of his Lifetime (The International 8 - 2018)
The call of Ceb's lifetime.
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OG vs. PSG.LGD was a series that was one to watch. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as each team wanted to get a taste of the Aegis. In the game 4 of the grand finals of TI8, Ana fearlessly led the charge with his Phantom Lancer while his teammates got picked off. His use of Manta Style and Doppelganger allowed the carry to survive for as long as he could, up until Ceb came in and obliterated PSG.LGD with one singular Berserker’s Call. This taunted all three heroes surrounding Ana and allowed him to finish them off. Coupled with one of the greatest caster calls, the hype in this game is one for the books.
