Gaimin Gladiators are positioned to close out the most successful season in Dota 2 esports history after winning the 2023 Bali Major.
In games like Counter-Strike, esports fans have seen teams like Astralis in 2019 where they win both majors and a number of other tournaments around them. That hasn’t really existed in Dota 2. There have been teams that come out of nowhere to win The International and there have been teams that perform well throughout the year that fall short of the Aegis of Champions. There hasn’t really been a team that does both.
Gaimin Gladiators could be the team to buck that trend. The international squad once again got the better of Team Liquid in the grand finals of a Dota Pro Circuit Major and is set to enter The International 2023 as the favorite to win.
Gaimin Gladiators beat Team Liquid to win 2023 Bali Major
Once again, Gaimin Gladiators met Team Liquid in the finals of a Dota Pro Circuit Major. And once again, they got the better of Aydin “iNSaNiA” Sarkohi and company.
For a time, it seemed like that wouldn’t be the case. While Gaimin Gladiators were utterly dominant throughout the first two 2023 Dota Pro Circuit majors, the team showed cracks in its armor during the group stage. It shared second place and a 10-6 record in the group with two other teams in PSG.LGD and BetBoom Team, with Team Quest finishing the group at 12-4.
Once the playoffs came around, GG was back to its usual form. The team worked its way to the finals by beating Team Aster, Team Quest, and Tundra Esports to set up a deciding showdown with Team Liquid.
Quinn “Quinn” Callahan helped Gaimin take first blood with a dominant 15-0 game as Timbersaw. Team Liquid evened the series at 1-1 by coming out on top of a 54-minute slog but from there, it was all Gaimin Gladiators. The team broke off a 21-minute victory in game three to move to match point and knotted up the Bali Major with a methodical victory.
Gaimin Gladiators stands as the clear favorite to win The International 2023
While there’s often a question of regional strength and consistency when it comes to picking a favorite for The International, what’s not really the case this year. Gaimin Gladiators is undoubtedly the favorite team to win The International 2023.
The victory at the 2023 Bali Major secured the team every major trophy from the season. Alongside those trophies are top-three finishes in each tour of the European DPC league.
GG is far from guaranteed a victory, of course. Fellow TI12 direct invitee Team Liquid didn’t chance its way into the finals of every major, and Tundra Esports has looked strong enough throughout the year that a back-to-back championship is a possibility. Outside of Europe, PSG.LGD put on its best showing of the year in the Bali Major and could finally put everything together at The International 2023.
They’ll face some stiff competition, but Gaimin Gladiators is the definitive pick to win the event. The International 2023 is set to start on October 12.
