The professional Dota scene is quite volatile and extremely difficult to get into as the best teams are only getting better. There have been various games where one team had grossly underestimated the other team and jumped the gun. There have been jaw-dropping moments, cinderella runs, and insane comebacks, and frankly, all of them are a part of good Dota gameplay. We bring you the Best 10 Spectacular Comebacks and memorable events in Dota history.
10. Alliance vs Cloud 9 (ESL Frankfurt 2014)
The old times of Alliance dominating the European region are a distant memory now. Only the OGs remember their impact and their notorious rat strategies. This was back in 2014 when Bulldog was still relevant! Team Alliance had just won the International the previous year and showed no signs of stopping, their hunger only increased as time went by. During the Quarterfinals of ESL Frankfurt, Alliance displayed their impeccable mechanical skills and gave Cloud 9 hell.
Cloud 9 forgot to ban Nature’s Prophet in game 2 or did they underestimate what the mighty Bulldog was capable of? Nevertheless, Alliance picked NP and you already know where this is going. Alliance used to pick NP as a tool to not only rat or split push but also as a team fighter to skirmish as Loda farmed away, creating space for him. The game went on for over 82 minutes! Cloud 9 were readying for game 3 but Bulldog on his signature Prophet pushed in their lanes and Loda decimated the C9 players. This swift turnaround knocked out C9 from the tournament, while the crowd went wild to this outcome!
9. Na’Vi vs TongFu (The International 2)
Only the real OGs know where this is going! Na’Vi was essentially in their prime during the first few Internationals and this was quite evident with their insane gameplay and innovative tactics, all cooked up by Puppey. Yes, we are without a doubt talking about the insane fountain hook which destroyed TongFu during the group stages.
The fountain hook involved Dendi on his signature Pudge to hook a hero, while Chen, played by Puppey sent him back to the fountain. This weird mechanic allowed the target hooked by Dendi to relocate with him into his fountain. This made the fountain kill the hooked hero. This infamous play was also considered to be controversial at the time, with people also reaching out to Valve to fix this before Na’Vi exploited it any further. This play will forever be cemented in the history of the International as one of the most hilarious moments.
8. Team Spirit (The International 10)
Who would’ve thought this band of relatively new players would go on to win the 18 Million Dollar prize pool! Team Spirit’s cinderella run during the recent International has won the hearts and has made every other dota player their fan. Their gameplay was heavily praised by experienced professionals and critics. They never really looked shaky throughout the group stage, they always had a plan, and they were determined to lift the aegis, which they actually did!
All of their games were interesting to watch, especially watching Collapse on heroes like Magnus, Mars, and Tidehunter. He was a treat to watch, and undoubtedly the MVP of the whole tournament. Collapse was pretty much an unknown player, but his sudden leap cements him as one of the best offlaners to ever touch the game. The young Yatoro is the only player to get three rampages in three different games while playing three different heroes! The versatile prodigy contained his nerves and never flinched even at the worst moments. Miposhka’s leadership proved to be very helpful as he and coach Silent were the only experienced players on the team. Their experience resonated in the gameplay of these four superstars.
7. OG vs Ad Finem (Boston Major Finals)
Talk about a cinderella story, not all underdogs are capable of making it that far into the tournament, especially against the big dogs and also if it’s their first time playing on such a big stage. The Greek Gods Ad Finem shook the world with their explosive gameplay during the main stage of the Boston Major. Their run through the lower bracket is nothing short of a heroic story. They managed to go head to head against the Chinese giants like Newbee, LFY, and even the Ti runner-up Digital Chaos.
Ad Finem’s Final boss was none other than the giant major winners, team OG. The same OG who had all the stars, all the best players, and mechanically had the upper hand versus the underdogs. Ad Finem displayed valiant effort and gave all they could in the finals. OG triumphed over Ad Finem but the vicious tug of war went on for all four games, but their lack of experience was the critical factor behind their defeat. All the top teams laud their impressive lower bracket run, none can duplicate their charm and ferocity.
6. Alliance vs EG (The International 6)
The legendary Alliance squad who once lifted the Aegis in 2013, the same legends were back together for their one final hurrah. They know they were old and rusty (and perhaps washed up as well!) But they managed to defy all odds in their first game of the group stage against team EG who were coming in hot after their victory the previous year.
EG were doing exceptionally well throughout the game, until the very last moment when Alliance managed to disrupt them and kill Fear who was hitting their Ancient. Akke’s Lich managed to keep it alive against the pesky Batrider by using Frost Armor. After managing to neutralize all five of EG’s star roster, Alliance caught no rest and immediately charged into EG’s base where after hitting the tier 3s they knew that the former does not have buyback! This quick and embarrassing turn of events is forever cemented in Dota history by the legendary LD’s exciting yet controversial voice line.
5. DC vs EG (The International 6)
It is quite rare to see two NA teams battle it out heads-on so far in the main stages of the International. What we usually see is either EG making it up to the top 6 or there is no other team from the NA team making it up that far. Ti6 was truly a strange event, you got to see such a strange yet enthralling turn of events!
EG dropped to the lower bracket, facing their fellow countrymen there. No one and not even EG imagined such a great turn of events. Reaching so high up in the International is quite a feat, especially for first-time players. DC ensued chaos in all 3 games of the series, all the games had DC leading early on with their split push lineup. EG frankly overestimated their chances against DC and stumbled heavily in the third game, their momentum was quite shaky and DC capitalized on it. W33’s Kunkka and Resolution’s Slark were top-notch in the final game. A new player can still take notes from their playstyle of 6 years ago!
4. EG vs CDEC (The International 5)
The 8-Million Dollar Echo Slam! Only the true fans remember this devastating Ice Blast into Echo Slam that decimated CDEC’s heroes and stopped their Roshan attempt. It was all surprising when a North American team managed to reach the finals of the International, it was quite a treat for all the NA fans regardless of the outcome.
The series was quite a tug of war, CDEC showed no signs of weakness nor did EG flinch at any loss. The vicious gameplay was definitely a sight to witness if you are a Dota fan. The game 4 rolled around, CDEC looked extremely strong in the laning phase, the young prodigy Sumail wasn’t getting many farms either, it was all looking grim for EG. CDEC saw the opportunity to go Roshan. PPD’s amazing shot calling and great positioning by Universe resulted in the great Ice Blast into Echo Slam play. This melted all the CDEC heroes and gave chance for others to follow up and wipe out the remaining players. This play was extremely well-coordinated, akin to a great orchestra.
3. OG vs PSG.LGD (The International 8)
The 8th International was the beginning of the end of China’s domination. PSG.LGD was finally looking hot during the group stages and was one of the hopefuls to lift the Aegis without a doubt. Then came team OG, their players had won numerous majors, and their highly skilled yet controversial roster was known for their BM, but they made it up with their exceptional mechanical skills in the main stage.
Everyone expected the upper bracket match to go in the favor of the Chinese giants, the games looked very shaky, OG had stumbled a bit in the series, after all, they were facing the best team in China, who had practiced for this moment all their life. The exceptional plays made by JerAx on his Earthshaker are still memorable to fans four years later. The hilarious all-chat voice lines and taunts will forever be memorable, OG went on to face LGD in the final, and the rest is history!
2. TnC vs OG (The International 6)
If you had bet on TnC during this series of the International, you’d probably be driving around in a Bugatti! OG were the crowd favorites coming into the International with the likes of Miracle and Notail on the team (both future Ti winners!) The grind of TnC was overlooked as they made it all the way from the Open Qualifiers, while OG was invited directly. This put more pressure on TnC to perform well, which they did.
The team of four inexperienced Filipino players, led by DeMoN from NA, made history by defeating and knocking the fan favorites to win the International; out of the tournament. Their hero picks were quite off-meta but they made it work. Their high octane gameplay made it able for them to come back in the second game and make the series even. The third game saw the world-famous KuKu Huskar, the same Huskar that decimated Miracle’s Ember in the mid lane. OG never knew what hit them, or perhaps they chose to ignore and underestimate the underdogs which proved heavy on them.
1. Alliance vs Na’Vi Game 5 (The International 3)
This historical International grand final will go down as undoubtedly the best match of esports ever played. Both sides had a vicious tug of war, on one side you have the previous champions and rulers of the CIS region, the Puppey-helmed team Na’Vi, and on the other hand, you have a bunch of Swedish players who are exceptionally talented but yet to prove their mark in the major tournaments. The first few games were quite one-sided for both teams, as even they knew that this series would be stretched to its limits and they would end up playing one last time for the sweet prize of 1.4 Million USD.
The final game saw Alliance picking their favorite Nature’s Prophet in the first phase, a cl[A]ssic Bulldog hero. Bulldog was in his prime, he was there and he wanted nothing less than the aegis. Seeing S4 on his now-legendary Puck was a treat, as he did all he could to secure the early game. The game went great for Na’Vi as he was doing great as the Templar Assassin, but him getting caught off-guard by s4 was one of the most devastating moments of the game as a Na’Vi fan. The legendary Dream Coil caught both Dendi and Puppey, making sure they can’t escape while Bulldog banged on Na’Vi’s tier 4’s. Close to 10 years later, the crowd reaction and the play itself are still enough to give you goosebumps.
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