With the biggest Dota 2 event starting later this month, it’s time for our Dota 2 TI power rankings. Who stands a good chance of winning the tournament? We’ve got you covered.
The league phase will feature a single round-robin system, with the top four from each pool advancing to the upper-bracket playoffs. Teams from fifth to eighth will go to the main event as lower-bracket contenders. The main event will feature 16 – the top eight from each pool – in a double-elimination bracket. The extravaganza will culminate with the grand finals on October 30.
Dota 2’s TI 2022 will feature a lower prize pool than any previous tournaments this year. However, the Dota 2 TI prize pool for this event has rapidly increased over the years.
All said it’s among the more financially rewarding tournaments and most-recognised Dota 2 tournaments. A performance of note here is seen in the Dota 2 circles as the ultimate crowning glory. Let’s dive straight into the Dota 2 TI power rankings.
Dota 2 The International 2022 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | PSG.LGD |
| 2 | Team Spirit |
| 3 | OG |
| 4 | Entity |
| 5 | Team Aster |
| 6 | Royal Never Give Up |
| 7 | Tundra Esports |
| 8 | TSM |
| 9 | BOOM Esports |
| 10 | Evil Geniuses |
10. Evil Geniuses
Think of Dota 2 TI teams from North America, and you think of Evil Geniuses. They are currently at No. 10 in our Dota 2 TI power rankings among the teams. For them, it was a case of victory in defeat at the PGL Arlington Major because even though they were eliminated, it was known they would be heading to the Dota 2 TI 2022 in Singapore.
They needed the stars to align at one point, and they did so wonderfully. EG were in with a shout of qualifying directly, only because Fnatic lost. Then they needed Outsiders to lose, which also came to fruition.
You must now be going in your head – can EG somehow sneak into the top four of their pool and make the upper bracket at Dota 2 TI 2022? If only it were that easy. But they are an experienced outfit, even if they may not have delivered on their promise lately. They have traditionally dominated the NA region, but this year, even there, they have to stave off stiff competition from TSM FTZ and Sonia Esports.
So while they are a little low in the pecking order when it comes to the Dota 2 TI standings just yet, there’s plenty to prove. For starters, they would want to channel their performance at the Majors in 2021 – they finished second in both majors. At the 2021-2022 DPC Winter tour, they finished third. So there’s still some hope.
9. BOOM Esports
At No. 9 in our Dota 2 TI power rankings is BOOM Esports, who will be making their maiden appearance at TI. They became only the first south-east Asian team and the ninth overall to secure their invite to the tournament.
A clutch win over Team Liquid in an elimination match at PGL Arlington Major 2022 playoffs helped them secure a top-eight finish and net enough DPC points to get here. Their consistency in their region has never been in doubt, and they are slowly starting to translate the same level of consistency at world events.
Their roster is star-studded, but all said, this is also the first time four of their players will be playing at TI 2022. That they have gotten this far, ahead of some of the more accomplished sides like Team Liquid, should come as a massive shot in the arm.
8. TSM
Along with BOOM, TSM are keeping NA’s Dota 2 flag flying after EG dominated the scene for long. Currently No. 8 in our Dota 2 TI power rankings, they made it this far courtesy of a memorable run to the playoffs at ESL One Stockholm Major 2022. Having started last year as Team Undying, they finished 13-16th at TI10.
They followed that up with a second-place finish at the Winter Tour, apart from winning the Regional finals to firmly establish their presence as one of the top teams in North America. During the course of that run, they ran into some off-field turbulence, especially on the financial front.
The struggle to keep their players on retainers threatened to cast doubts over their immediate future, but that is a crisis they seem to have tided over for the moment. Their first appearance as TSM was at the regional final, where they beat EG twice.
That was followed by a second-placed finish at the Regional qualifiers that helped them make it through to ESL One Stockholm. But performances in the Riyadh Masters and ESL One Malaysia have been anything but encouraging. So it’ll take something massive for them to turn the tide.
7. Tundra Esports
One of four teams from Western Europe to have made it through to the Dota 2 TI 2022, Tundra Esports will be looking to live up to their reputation of being among the more creative teams in the circuit. After nearly making it through TI10 through the regional qualifiers, they signed all their players with long-term deals until 2024.
It was unusual, yet significant, given that teams generally prefer signings from season to season. That they were willing to commit long-term here was, in many ways reposing faith in the group. Results have taken a while to come. They were fourth in the 2021-22 DPC winter tour regional league and third at the regional finals.
Then came a bit of a churn as they sacked Adrian ‘Fata’ Trinks, their captain, and replaced him with Martin ‘Salsa’ Sazdov. The controversial move brought a semblance of stability, as they finished second at the Gamers Galaxy Invitational Series in Dubai, followed by a third-place finish at ESL One Stockholm Major. Clearly, they are hoping to cash in on this upswing. As such, they continue to be a dominant force in Western Europe.
Now they’re trying to sustain that dominance and transcend geographies on the world stage. The TI11 betting odds may not give them that much of a chance of winning, but they are happy to fly under the radar and sting teams.
6. Royal Never Give Up
Going through a regional qualifier can be a tiresome experience for some, an opportunity to get game time and fire up before the main event for others. For Royal Never Give Up, they looked at it as a blessing, competing against some top talent in the region to eventually get here following a dominance in the Chinese qualifiers.
They started with back-to-back wins over Ybb Gaming and Aster. Aries, before beating XG in the upper bracket finals, becomes the first team to enter the grand finale. Mind you, XG were equally prolific to begin the tournament, so a victory over them wasn’t by any means a foregone conclusion.
They fought hard to stay in the contest and eventually dominated the key pockets to win 3-0. They are the third Chinese team at Dota 2 TI 2022 after PSG.LGD and Team Aster. That RNG have consistently been good in their local qualifiers, which is thought to have one of the best competitive structures, tells you of their rise to be among some of the formidable forces in the game.
RNG are slowly reaping the rewards of the hard work put in during the 2021-2022 DPC. They finished third in tour 1, fourth in tour 2 and first in tour 3. They have revved up nicely for Dota 2 TI 2022.
5. Team Aster
For long, Aster have lived under the giant shadows of PSG.LGD, but they are slowly trying to emerge from those. The perception is they aren’t among the A-listers, but promising performances of note lately have brought them under much focus for their improved gameplay and plans, validation of which was cementing their berth at Dota 2 TI 2022.
Much of their recent success is due to Monet’s proficiency and killer instinct, but the albatross around their neck is unlikely to go away until they win a Major. At the Arlington Major, they reached the lower bracket final – disappointing in a sense, impressive in another.
Ori’s inclusion from Vici Gaming has lent some much-needed left to their line-up. The mid-laner has a stellar record and has qualified for multiple internationals, having won two majors. Before his transfer, he was part of a fifth-place finish at Dota 2 TI10.
4. Entity
Entity staved off a fierce bid from Team Secret to be crowned champions at the Western Europe qualifiers. That they came through an intense 12-team event where victory was far from a foregone conclusion augurs well for them. Lag played a big part in the qualifiers, but that didn’t stop Entity from running riot on any opponent their way.
Team Liquid, Team Secret, Alliance – all of them were ambushed. That their younger players came through the tough fight points to a promising immediate future, beginning with Dota 2 TI11.
However well they may have done at the Western Europe Qualifiers, some could put those down to technical issues and server problems, the ping issues and the long wait between matches. The critics may argue problems were amplified, and magnified; a game between Breach and Team Secret even had to be delayed by a day.
Not that it helped much in the end, though. So, this is something Entity will have to be mindful of. Questions will be asked of them, and they will have to rise above the talk to show why they deserve to be here.
3. OG
Third on our Dota 2 TI power rankings are OG, who know they are being backed to do the near impossible – that’s winning the tournament twice, that too back to back. OG are as dangerous as they come, a team that flies under the radar of some of the superstars but is capable of stinging the best in the business.
They are a team that’s slowly climbing their way back up the charts following some high-profile retirements and the absence of key players, such as Johan “N0tail” Sundstein and Topias “Topson” Taavistainen. Much of their plans at this tournament will centre around Mikhail “Misha” Agatov, who has been given a leadership role.
The team’s mantra of punting on up-and-coming talent and a relatively younger roster hasn’t entirely borne fruit yet, but when you buy into a vision for the long term, short-term losses are a trade-off. They finished in the top four in the DPC Winter Tour and made it through to the regional finals.
The Dota 2 TI11 betting odds are nearly at 7.00 for them, but these are significantly more improved in recent times courtesy of their DPC performances. They are winners of the ESL Stockholm Major, while creditable shows at the Riyadh Masters hold out hope for a promising show at TI 2022. This is a team that has for long proven their naysayers wrong when they least expect it. Don’t expect that to change.
2. Team Spirit
Currently at No. 2 in our Dota 2 TI power rankings, Spirit are looking to replicate their epic run to the title last year, one of the best in the game’s history. This inspired run is down to several factors – such as consistency in the roster, and the stringent boot camps that have laid down square emphasis on performance and accountability.
To have bounced back from losing four games in the group stage and then make a run from the lower bracket was what dreams are made of. They won 10 of their next 12 games from there to take the title. They beat some fancied reams like OG and Virtus Pro during this magnificent run. There’s unmistakable confidence about them.
They are unfazed by bigger outfits. Their game, in general, is marked by their penchant for taking big risks and plans that are made spontaneously. There’s no reason not to stick to these going forward.
1. PSG.LGD
Runners-up at the PGL Arlington Major and leader of the Dota 2 TI power rankings, PSG.LGD have slowly but surely built up to perform at a top intensity at Dota 2 TI 2022. This is why they have been given the top billing regarding the TI11 standings.
They owe much of their success to Ame, who has played a key role in sowing the seeds of PSG.LDG’s domination as they build towards trying to go one-up on last year’s results. Let’s be clear. It’s not like PSG.LGD are invincible but their consistency, a by-product of stability, makes them strong favorites nonetheless.
Yet, for everything they have done over the past year, their loss to Team Spirit in last year’s TI10 final continue to be a major talking point. Can they channel that loss in the right way? Will they show nerves? Can they shrug off that meltdown? Have they lost their aura?
Truth be told, it’s not as if they are intimidated by Spirit. In fact, they beat them convincingly in the group stage and nearly made a magnificent comeback in the final from 0-2 down. They truly hit the high notes when they won in Riyadh. These have given way to a healthy rivalry which could see the scripting of a new chapter for the two teams.