History MediaNotes / ProfessionalGaming

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and the entire sequence of events leading up to [=TI8=], solidifying their status as the "comeback kings." They lost their star mid [=Resolut1on=], their two best players [=s4=] and [=N0tail=]'s best friend Fly went to Evil Geniuses in sudden and shocking manner, they had to forfeit their invite to the Supermajor, they were just shattered from the fallout...but it didn't matter. From the EU Open Qualifiers, armed with off-meta picks and stellar Dota play, OG pulled off the biggest miraculous run of the players' careers in the tournament, defeating Group B leaders VGJ.Storm, now-bitter rivals Evil Geniuses, and Chinese juggernauts PSG.LGD ''twice'' in the Upper Bracket Finals and the Grand Finals, both series (along with the series against EG) going the distance (yes, you heard that right, [=TI8=]''s Grand Finals went to a deciding ''Game 5'', five years since [=TI3=]'s Grand Finals, the last time TI's Grand Finals went to 5 games) to claim the Aegis of Champions. Their Game 3's against both EG (UB Semifinals) and PSG.LGD (UB Finals) and Game 4 against PSG.LGD (Grand Finals) were the most iconic games of the tournament, all of them featuring OG coming back from big deficits.

*** '''Offlane: Sébastien "[=Ceb=]" Debs''': Formerly a coach for OG, after Reso's departure he became the team's temporary replacement, but with [=s4=] and Fly's switch to EG, he has now started to play full-time as a player. On an off-meta Axe in Game 4 of the Grand Finals of [=TI8=], he had his best game of the entire tournament, with the biggest ''Berserker's Call' of his life. [[note]] Seriously, what are you doing here? Go watch Game 4! [[/note]]
*** '''Carry: Anathan "ana" Pham''': A key player in the team's victories in the Boston and Kiev Majors, he now
returns to the team as a carry once again. And once again, he became crucial to the team's run at The International, proving that it was like he never left the scene a year after his break from pro Dota.

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] Despite the roster changes that have changed almost the entire team ([=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]], Fly and [=s4's=] move to Evil Geniuses, resulting in [=7ckngmad's=] permanently becoming the team's offlaner, ana's return to the team, and the pick-up of yet another pubstar in Topson, both of which resulted in [=N0tail=] moving to the captain and support role), they dominated the European Qualifiers, earning the organization a third time into The International. By the end of the DPC, they finished at 14th with 930 points.
*** '''Support/Captain: Johan "[=N0tail=]" Sundstein''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and [=Cloud9=], with his longtime teammate Fly moving to Evil Geniuses, and with the arrival of ana and Topson, this shifts the former carry into support, a role he has been familiar with due to his stint with [=Fnatic and Cloud9=].
*** '''Support: Jesse "[=JerAx=]" Vainikka''': Ex-Team Liquid, he had departed from that team to take a break from professional Dota, but soon enough returned to action, this time as part of OG, proving himself as a very reliable support.
*** '''Offlane: Sébastien "[=7ckngmad=]" Debs''': Formerly a coach for OG, after Reso's departure he became the team's temporary replacement, but with [=s4=] and Fly's switch to EG, he has now started to play full-time as a player.
*** '''Carry: Anathan "ana" Pham''': A key player in the team's victories in the Boston and Kiev Majors, he now returns to the team as a carry once again.
*** '''Midlane: Tovias "Topson" Taavitsainen'''

''Dota 2'' has an annual world tournament named The International that boasted a prize pool of US$1,000,000 for the winner. The International 2012 pitted the sixteen best teams in the world and The International 2013 had the same format. The International 2013, however, boasted the biggest prize pool of entire e-sports history with US$2,800,000, with more than one million dollars that came from ''Dota 2'' players with Compendium system. 2014 Compendium helped raise a prize pool of 11 million, with the winning team receiving roughly five million dollars. The prize pool simply kept going up and up, breaking their own records year by year. At The International 2015, the prize pool was about ''18.5 million dollars,'' with 6.6 million going to the winners. At The International 2016, it went up to 20.7 million, with about 9 million awarded to the winners. And at The International 2017, ''[[SerialEscalation it went to 24.7 million]]'' with ''10 million'' going to the winners. [=TI8=] has since broken the record once again, surpassing the previous Internationa's prize pool just a day before the start of the Main Event.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=].

* It hasn't been specified yet, but the distribution of points will now be given to more than just the top 4 teams.

** 1st: '''[=Virtus.pro=]''' - 12372 points (Earned Direct Invite with their win at The Bucharest Major in March)
** 2nd: '''Team Liquid''' - 9459 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL in May)
** 3rd: '''[=PSG.LGD=]''' - 7332 points (Earned Direct Invite with their win at MDL Changsha Major in May)
** 4th: '''Team Secret''' - 5136 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 3rd-4th place finish at GESC Thailand Minor in May)
** 5th: '''Mineski''' - 3150 points (Earned Direct Invite during Supermajor)
** 6th: '''Vici Gaming''' - 2835 points (Earned Direct Invite during Supermajor)
** 7th: '''Newbee''' - 2445 points (Earned Direct Invite during Supermajor)
** 8th: '''[=VGJ.Thunder=]''' - 1935 points (Earned Direct Invite during Supermajor)

** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly an NA region mainstay, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they've now moved to Europe. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and [=PSG.LGD=]. With a 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. After bombing out of ESL One Birmingham 2018 at 7th-9th, Liquid roared back with a vengeance and finally won their first Major post-[=TI7=], defeating [=Virtus.pro=] in the finals after five grueling games, dropping only ''three'' games from the start of the entire tournament, earning some much-needed momentum on the road to The International 2018. They finish the DPC at 2nd place with 9459 points.

''Dota 2'' has an annual world tournament named The International that boasted a prize pool of US$1,000,000 for the winner. The International 2012 pitted the sixteen best teams in the world and The International 2013 had the same format. The International 2013, however, boasted the biggest prize pool of entire e-sports history with US$2,800,000, with more than one million dollars that came from ''Dota 2'' players with Compendium system. 2014 Compendium helped raise a prize pool of 11 million, with the winning team receiving roughly five million dollars. The prize pool simply kept going up and up, breaking their own records year by year. At The International 2015, the prize pool was about ''18.5 million dollars,'' with 6.6 million going to the winners. At The International 2016, it went up to 20.7 million, with about 9 million awarded to the winners. And at The International 2017, ''[[SerialEscalation it went to 24.7 million]]'' with ''10 million'' going to the winners. Currently, [=TI7=] holds the record for the biggest prize pool in an esports event.

A team competing in these Majors and Minors will award qualifying points to players which will be the sole criteria to earn a Direct Invite to The International. Points will be awarded based on the total prize pool of a tournament, with the Majors giving out more points per prize pool dollar. Only the top 4 teams will earn points depending on their placement, and only the top 3 point earners of each team will contribute towards a team's total qualifying points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=]. The Battle Pass has been announced, and with that, the contributions to the prize pool have started, already hitting $10 million in just ''12 days''. With only 52 days left before the start of [=TI8=], the prize pool has now reached $20 million. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. It should be noted that as each Major and Minor passes, depending on the results, the point threshold becomes lower and lower as the DPC comes to an end with the last Major in the season, in this case being the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor, which comes in June 2. Immediately after, all 8 teams would then be determined and invited.

** '''[=Virtus.pro=]''': Currently the best team in the world, they have won four majors [[note]] with two won back-to-back, and would've had a chance to go for a hat trick had it not been for LGD, who eliminated them in 3rd at DAC 2018 [[/note]] in the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, and as a result, have already secured themselves an invite to The International 2018. They are known for their very deep hero pool, and at one time, in a single tournament, they almost never picked the same hero twice in their matches. They won their fourth Major at ESL One Birmingham, going ''undefeated'' in the whole tournament, not dropping a single game. While ultimately falling short of a fifth Major victory at the China Supermajor, falling to Liquid in five games, they end in first in the DPC rankings, with 12372 points.
*** '''Carry: Roman "[=RAMZES666=]" Kushnarev''': Known for his signature Lifestealer, he's currently considered as one of the best players in the world.
*** '''Support/Captain: Alexei "Solo" Berezin''': Yes, he's ''that'' Solo, the player who bet $100 against his own team and threw his match, and his winnings would've amounted to [[MemeticMutation [=$322=]]]. Since then, he's worked hard to regain his reputation, and while '322' will [[NeverLiveItDown not be forgotten]], he's gotten back into the good graces of fans around the community, and he's now VP's captain and drafter.
*** '''Mid: Vladimir "[=No[o]ne=]" Minenko'''
*** '''Support: Vladimir "[=RodjER=]" Nikogosyan''': Ex-Team Empire and Na'Vi, he was traded to VP for longtime VP support player Lil, and since then he's proven himself as once of the best support players in the world.
*** '''Offlane: Pavel "9pasha" Khvastunov'''
*** '''Coach: Ivan "Artstyle" Antonov''': The former captain and drafter of Na'Vi, their old teammate from their glory days who came back from retirement in an attempt to drag them out of their slump. Known as a master drafter and the 'China-Slayer', he has now retired from competition to take on a coaching role, now becoming VP's coach.

** '''[=PSG.LGD=]''': Formerly known as LGD Gaming, having signed with French football club ''Paris Saint-German''. Things didn't start off so well for LGD after their 4th place finish at {=TI7=], slumping hard as the first half of the DPC rolled on. It was then that a roster change was needed, and they brought in fy, Chalice, and xNova to turn the team's fortunes around, and it worked. After a phenomenal 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, their stars only grew with two consecutive Major victories at EPICENTER XL and MDL Changsha Major and a 3rd place finish at the Supermajor, cementing themselves as China's very best hope of winning [=TI8=] and continuing the tradition of a Chinese team winning an even-numbered TI. They finish 3rd in the Pro Circuit with 7332 points. They also have the distinction of being the ''only'' organization to have participated in all iterations of The International.

*** '''Coach: Xu "[=BurNIng=]" Zhilei''': One of the best and most experienced carries to have ever played Dota 2, having once been a part of the legendary Team DK squad in 2014. He also led Invictus to one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, sweeping OG in the grand finals at DAC 2017. Having been inactive for almost the entirety of the DPC, he now returns to coach this team to The International 2018. He's also regarded as the best player in the world to have ''never'' won a TI.

** '''[=PSG.LGD=]''': Formerly known as LGD Gaming, this is a Chinese powerhouse that somehow never manages to make it to the top at the grandest stage of them all. The 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, however, may change that, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, defeating [=Virtus.pro=] to get to the Grand Finals. Since partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, they are now branded as [=PSG.LGD=]. At EPICENTER XL, they finally give China their first Major victory, defeating European juggernauts Team Liquid in the Grand Finals. With these two impressive finishes, they've now established themselves as currently the best Chinese team, and a high favorite in The International 2018. They've now won a second Major at MDL Changsha, sweeping [=VGJ.Storm=] in the grand finals. With this, they become the fourth team to secure a direct invite to [=TI8=]. With Team Liquid and [=Virtus.pro=] finishing them off in 3rd place at the Supermajor, they finish 3rd in the Pro Circuit with 7332 points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=]. The Battle Pass has been announced, and with that, the contributions to the prize pool have started, already hitting $10 million in just ''12 days''. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. It should be noted that as each Major and Minor passes, depending on the results, the point threshold becomes lower and lower as the DPC comes to an end with the last Major in the season, in this case being the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor, which comes in June 2. Immediately after, all 8 teams would then be determined and invited.

** '''[=OpTic=] Gaming''': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai. AFter their 2nd place finish at Birmingham, they are 9th in the Pro Circuit, with 1800 points, just short of making it to the top 8, as Birmingham was their final appearance...or so we thought. With OG's withdrawal from the Supermajor, the team was selected over Fnatic to compete in Shanghai, which means they have one last shot to secure themselves a direct invite, needing at least a top 4 finish to secure an invite should [=VGJ.Thunder=] not finish in the top 4 either. [[DownerEnding Unfortunately, they finished in 5th-6th, crushed by CIS juggernauts [=Virtus.pro=] in two games.]] Resilient as they are, they round out the ten qualified teams for TI, earning the final NA spot.

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] Despite the roster changes that have changed almost the entire team ([=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit, [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]], Fly and [=s4's=] move to Evil Geniuses, resulting in [=7ckngmad's=] permanently becoming the team's offlaner, ana's return to the team, and the pick-up of yet another pubstar in Topson, both of which resulted in [=N0tail=] moving to the captain and support role), they dominated the European Qualifiers, earning the organization a third time into The International. By the end of the DPC, they finished at 14th with 930 points.
*** '''Support/Captain: Johan "[=N0tail=]" Sundstein''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and [=Cloud9=], he now returns to the carry role, and is still known for his Meepo and Io. During one game, when one of their teammates got disconnected from the match and could not be able to reconnect, he decided to play his teammate's hero, which was Io. Fortunately, he was playing as Tiny, and the two heroes have great synergy, and with his reputation as one of the best Io players in the world, he had no problems playing two heroes. The team won that game despite essentially going [=4v5=].

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit, [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]] Fly and [=s4's=] move to Evil Geniuses, and [=7ckngmad's=] return to coaching the team, the status of OG is now up in the air, especially after they have withdrawn from the China Supermajor. It didn't take long for them to reform their roster, with [=7ckngmad's=] going full-time as a player, ana's return to the team, and the pick-up of yet another pubstar in Topson. With this, [=N0tail=] moves to the captain and support role, the latter role which he is familiar with in his previous stints with other teams. They finish 14th in the Pro Circuit with 930 points.

** '''[=OpTic=] Gaming''': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai. AFter their 2nd place finish at Birmingham, they are 9th in the Pro Circuit, with 1800 points, just short of making it to the top 8, as Birmingham was their final appearance...or so we thought. With OG's withdrawal from the Supermajor, the team was selected over Fnatic to compete in Shanghai, which means they have one last shot to secure themselves a direct invite, needing at least a top 4 finish to secure an invite should [=VGJ.Thunder=] not finish in the top 4 either. [[DownerEnding Unfortunately, they finished in 5th-6th, crushed by CIS juggernauts [=Virtus.pro=] in two games.]] They must now earn their invite to TI through the regional qualifiers.

*** '''Support: Ludwig "zai" Wahlberg'''

** '''Evil Geniuses''': The premiere North American e-sports organization, boasting highly-successful players across each competitive game. EG's Dota teams also bear some Dota legendary players. The current squad was formed from the team S A D B O Y S, which is one of the most dominant team during 2014 despite Fear's absent from the team. Following Fear's return, and a roster changes, they consistently shows dominant performance in every tournament with a popular rivalry with Team Secret. Won DAC and The International 2015. Also infamous for being a slow starter, they will perform poorly in Day 1 of the tournament only to come back big time in the final days of the tournament which gives them a consistent showing on the Grand Finals. Since then, the team hasn't had much success after [=TI5=], 3rd place finish at [=TI6=] aside, with their lowest point being a 9th-12th finish at The International 2017, upset by Team Empire. With 1335 points to their name, they finish at 11th in the DPC. Just a day after their disappointing run at Birmingham, winning ''zero'' games, they shocked the world by removing both Fear and Misery. Who takes their place? OG captain Fly and offlaner [=s4=], now hoping the shift will turn the tides for the most popular NA squad in the world.

** '''[=VGJ.Storm=]''': Formed in September 2017, they are the North American sister team of [=VGJ.Thunder=]. Despite the roster changes after the lock, most notably and recently the addition of Ex-OG player [=Resolut1on=], and thus must qualify to TI through the Open Qualifiers, the team is slowly rising to possibly be the contender for North America, winning the GESC Thailand Minor after upsetting Fnatic in the semis and beating Keen Gaming in consecutive sweeps. However, they must go through [=OpTic=] and EG to do so. They have two more showings to prove themselves before the open qualifiers, in the MDL Changsha Major and the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor. At MDL, they put on a hell of a performance, getting all the way to the grand finals before falling to [=PSG.LGD=]. This team is certainly on the rise. They finished 10th in the DPC, with 1347 points.

** '''Invictus Gaming''': Chinese multi-platform organization that won The International 2012. They haven't been as strong since then, but their (possibly) last grasp of glory came when Dota legend [=BurNIng=] returned to lead his team to a huge victory at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2017, sweeping 4-time Major winners OG 3-0.

** '''TNC Pro Team''': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [="DeMoN"=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[UnderdogsNeverLose won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they finish 17th with 495 points.

** '''Fnatic''': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They finish 12th in the DPC, with 1265 points.

** '''Alliance''': the once-legendary star of the ''Dota 2'' scene that dominated the metagame, and won The International 2013 a mere seven months after its formation, formerly "No Tidehunter" (actually they picked him once). Their rivalry with Na'Vi was legendary, now dubbed as the 'El Clasico' of Dota 2. Based in Sweden, The Alliance is basically a Swedish all-stars team, although recently they have allowed a Frenchman in. Their playstyle is centered at non-common hero picks and split push... the term "Rat Doto", a playstyle based on split push and evading teamfight, is born after their winning of The International 2013. Their playstyle and usage of jungle is so potent that Icefrog nerfed some of the basic aspects in Dota (jungle tweaks, buyback, Roshan respawn time, etc). Like Na'Vi, they've become a remnant of their past glory as one of the best teams in the world, the team having went through so many roster changes, having been surpassed by other teams like [=Virtus.pro=] and Evil Geniuses. While they had reformed in mid-2016, it was short-lived. They didn't qualify for The International 2017.

** '''Natus Vincere''': Abbreviated "Na'Vi", they are an Ukrainian team that were in The International grand finals three times in a row and the winner of the first International in Germany. To sum their playstyle in a sentence: they will do things that make you wonder, enough said (or: they fight you under your tower, they kill you under your tower, they destroy your tower), a hyper-aggressive team. They used to be the most consistent and best team for a long period; however, like Alliance, they are now a remnant of the glory days in its first few years of Dota 2. None became more evident of it than when they had been unable to qualify for The International 2017, marking the first time in the tournament's history that the team will not participate. Still, many players and fans of the Dota 2 community will remember their time as the best team in the world in its early years. Like 2017, Na'Vi are unable to secure a spot in The International 2018, losing in the Open Qualifiers.

** '''Natus Vincere''': Abbreviated "Na'Vi", they are an Ukrainian team that were in The International grand finals three times in a row and the winner of the first International in Germany. To sum their playstyle in a sentence: they will do things that make you wonder, enough said (or: they fight you under your tower, they kill you under your tower, they destroy your tower), a hyper-aggressive team. They used to be the most consistent and best team for a long period; however, like Alliance, they are now a remnant of the glory days in its first few years of Dota 2. None became more evident of it than when they had been unable to qualify for The International 2017, marking the first time in the tournament's history that the team will not participate. Still, many players and fans of the Dota 2 community will remember their time as the best team in the world in its early years. Recent news have taken the community by storm: Not only did they replace their newest player, thus rendering themselves ineligible for a direct invite and a regional qualifier invite, they also pulled out of participating at ESL One Birmingham, opting to train instead. Time will tell if this change could help the team in dire need of an in-game coordinator, as they must go through the Open Qualifiers now. They end the season ranked at #13 in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 1199 points.

** 2nd: '''Team Liquid''' - 8109 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL in May)

** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly an NA region mainstay, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they've now moved to Europe. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and [=PSG.LGD=]. With a 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. After bombing out of ESL One Birmingham 2018 at 7th-9th, Liquid roared back with a vengeance and finally won their first Major post-[=TI7=], defeating [=Virtus.pro=] in the finals after five grueling games, dropping only ''three'' games from the start of the entire tournament, earning some much-needed momentum on the road to The International 2018. They finish the DPC at 2nd place with 8109 points.

** 1st: '''[=Virtus.pro=]''' - 10347 points (Earned Direct Invite with their win at The Bucharest Major in March)
** 2nd: '''[=PSG.LGD=]''' - 6321 points (Earned Direct Invite with their win at MDL Changsha Major in May)
** 3rd: '''Team Liquid''' - 6084 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL in May)

** '''[=Virtus.pro=]''': Currently the best team in the world, they have won four majors [[note]] with two won back-to-back, and would've had a chance to go for a hat trick had it not been for LGD, who eliminated them in 3rd at DAC 2018 [[/note]] in the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, and as a result, have already secured themselves an invite to The International 2018. They are known for their very deep hero pool, and at one time, in a single tournament, they almost never picked the same hero twice in their matches. They won their fourth Major at ESL One Birmingham, going ''undefeated'' in the whole tournament, not dropping a single game. They are first in the DPC rankings, with 10347 points.

** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly an NA region mainstay, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they've now moved to Europe. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and [=PSG.LGD=]. With a 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. Currently, they are 3rd in the Pro Circuit, with 6084 points. Also, they still haven't won a Major this season, bombing out of their latest one at 7th-9th, with their last shot at winning one at the Supermajor.

** '''Team Secret''': Europe's All-Star team, comprising the best players from some of the best teams around. Were burdened by heavy expectations when they formed and went through a few roster changes of their own. Even then, they continued to fall short of the finish multiple times- however, recent signs have shown them becoming a dominant force equaled only by very few others. Prior to The International 2016, they are the only team not named OG to have won a Valve Major, which was held in Shanghai. Even with their subpar 3rd-4th place finish at GESC Thailand, they've earned enough points to earn themselves a direct invite to [=TI8=]. Currently, they are 4th in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 5136 points.

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] They are 14th in the Pro Circuit with 930 points. But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit, [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]] Fly and [=s4's=] move to Evil Geniuses, and [=7ckngmad's=] return to coaching the team, the status of OG is now up in the air, especially after they have withdrawn from the China Supermajor. It didn't take long for them to reform their roster, with [=7ckngmad's=] going full-time as a player, ana's return to the team, and the pick-up of yet another pubstar in Topson. With this, [=N0tail=] moves to the captain and support role, the latter role which he is familiar with in his previous stints with other teams.

** '''Natus Vincere''': Abbreviated "Na'Vi", they are an Ukrainian team that were in The International grand finals three times in a row and the winner of the first International in Germany. To sum their playstyle in a sentence: they will do things that make you wonder, enough said (or: they fight you under your tower, they kill you under your tower, they destroy your tower), a hyper-aggressive team. They used to be the most consistent and best team for a long period; however, like Alliance, they are now a remnant of the glory days in its first few years of Dota 2. None became more evident of it than when they had been unable to qualify for The International 2017, marking the first time in the tournament's history that the team will not participate. Still, many players and fans of the Dota 2 community will remember their time as the best team in the world in its early years. Recent news have taken the community by storm: Not only did they replace their newest player, thus rendering themselves ineligible for a direct invite and a regional qualifier invite, they also pulled out of participating at ESL One Birmingham, opting to train instead. Time will tell if this change could help the team in dire need of an in-game coordinator, as they must go through the Open Qualifiers now. They are ranked at #13 in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 1199 points.

** '''Evil Geniuses''': The premiere North American e-sports organization, boasting highly-successful players across each competitive game. EG's Dota teams also bear some Dota legendary players. The current squad was formed from the team S A D B O Y S, which is one of the most dominant team during 2014 despite Fear's absent from the team. Following Fear's return, and a roster changes, they consistently shows dominant performance in every tournament with a popular rivalry with Team Secret. Won DAC and The International 2015. Also infamous for being a slow starter, they will perform poorly in Day 1 of the tournament only to come back big time in the final days of the tournament which gives them a consistent showing on the Grand Finals. Since then, the team hasn't had much success after [=TI5=], 3rd place finish at [=TI6=] aside, with their lowest point being a 9th-12th finish at The International 2017, upset by Team Empire. With 1335 points to their name, they are currently ranked 11th in the DPC. Just a day after their disappointing run at Birmingham, winning ''zero'' games, they shocked the world by removing both Fear and Misery. Who takes their place? OG captain Fly and offlaner [=s4=], now hoping the shift will turn the tides for the most popular NA squad in the world.

** '''[=OpTic=] Gaming''': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai. AFter their 2nd place finish at Birmingham, they are 9th in the Pro Circuit, with 1800 points, just short of making it to the top 8, as Birmingham was their final appearance...or so we thought. With OG's withdrawal from the Supermajor, the team was selected over Fnatic to compete in Shanghai, which means they have one last shot to secure themselves a direct invite.

** '''[=VGJ.Storm=]''': Formed in September 2017, they are the North American sister team of [=VGJ.Thunder=]. Despite the roster changes after the lock, most notably and recently the addition of Ex-OG player [=Resolut1on=], and thus must qualify to TI through the Open Qualifiers, the team is slowly rising to possibly be the contender for North America, winning the GESC Thailand Minor after upsetting Fnatic in the semis and beating Keen Gaming in consecutive sweeps. However, they must go through [=OpTic=] and EG to do so. They have two more showings to prove themselves before the open qualifiers, in the MDL Changsha Major and the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor. At MDL, they put on a hell of a performance, getting all the way to the grand finals before falling to [=PSG.LGD=]. This team is certainly on the rise. They are 10th in the DPC, with 1347 points.

** '''[=PSG.LGD=]''': Formerly known as LGD Gaming, this is a Chinese powerhouse that somehow never manages to make it to the top at the grandest stage of them all. The 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, however, may change that, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, defeating [=Virtus.pro=] to get to the Grand Finals. Since partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, they are now branded as [=PSG.LGD=]. At EPICENTER XL, they finally give China their first Major victory, defeating European juggernauts Team Liquid in the Grand Finals. With these two impressive finishes, they've now established themselves as currently the best Chinese team, and a high favorite in The International 2018. They've now won a second Major at MDL Changsha, sweeping [=VGJ.Storm=] in the grand finals. With this, they become the fourth team to secure a direct invite to [=TI8=]. They are currently 2nd in the Pro Circuit, with 6321 points.

** '''Vici Gaming''': In the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, it seems the team has finally returned to top form, contesting with Newbee, [=VGJ.Thunder=], and [=PSG.LGD=]. Currently, they are 6th in the Pro Circuit with 2835 points.

** '''Newbee''': An all-star team that recruited by son of a Chinese conglomerate, can be called "Manchester City of e-sports". Boasted some of the best Chinese players; three of them brought team [=TongFu=] to fourth position in The International 2013. They won the International 2014, then went into a huge slump and lost players, until now they are a shade of their old self - but still enough to put up a good fight. They became just the second team to appear more than once in a TI grand final, but unfortunately, become the first team to be '''swept''' in a TI grand final, courtesy of longtime rival Team Liquid. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they are currently at 7th place with 2445 points, with Vici Gaming having overtaken them after MDL Changsha.

** '''[=VGJ.Thunder=]''': Formed in September 2016 (then called Team VGJ), it was created after an agreement among ''China Digital Culture (Group) Limited'', Chinese professional e-sports organization ''Vici Gaming'', and professional basketball player Jeremy Lin, who is endorsing the team, hence the VGJ name (with the 'J' named after the first letter in Jeremy's name). In the following year, Team VGJ was rebranded into [=VGJ.Thunder=]. They've had moderate success since then, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish in The Bucharest Major. In the DPC, they are at 8th place with 1935 points. Despite it's recent founding, it is a team not to be underestimated.

** '''Mineski''': Years since the first International, the formerly all-Filipino team has gone the full SEA region, boasting some of the best players the region has to offer, and have become a powerhouse on the road to The International 2018. Recently, they were the victors of The Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018, defeating LGD Gaming in a full 5 game series. Could [=TI8=] be the iteration where an SEA team finally wins it? Time will tell. Currently, they are ranked 5th in the Pro Circuit, with 3150 points.

** '''TNC Pro Team''': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [="DeMoN"=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[UnderdogsNeverLose won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they are currently 17th with 495 points.

** '''Fnatic''': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They are ranked #12 in the DPC, with 1265 points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=]. The Battle Pass has been announced, and with that, the contributions to the prize pool have started, already hitting $10 million in just ''12 days''. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. With OpTic Gaming's descent to the Lower Bracket during the Supermajor, all but one spot is left secure for a Direct Invite. It should be noted that as each Major and Minor passes, depending on the results, the point threshold becomes lower and lower as the DPC comes to an end with the last Major in the season, in this case being the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor, which comes in June 2. Immediately after, all 8 teams would then be determined and invited.

Here are the current top 8 teams of the Dota Pro Circuit, with the current point threshold requirement being 3172 points as of ESL One Birmingham:

** 4th: '''Team Secret''' - 4800 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 3rd-4th place finish at GESC Thailand Minor in May)

** 8th: '''[=VGJ.Thunder=]''' - 1935 points

*** '''Carry: Roman '[=RAMZES666=]' Kushnarev''': Known for his signature Lifestealer, he's currently considered as one of the best players in the world.
*** '''Support/Captain: Alexei 'Solo' Berezin''': Yes, he's ''that'' Solo, the player who bet $100 against his own team and threw his match, and his winnings would've amounted to [[MemeticMutation [=$322=]]]. Since then, he's worked hard to regain his reputation, and while '322' will [[NeverLiveItDown not be forgotten]], he's gotten back into the good graces of fans around the community, and he's now VP's captain and drafter.
*** '''Mid: Vladimir '[=No[o]ne=]' Minenko'''
*** '''Support: Vladimir '[=RodjER=]' Nikogosyan''': Ex-Team Empire and Na'Vi, he was traded to VP for longtime VP support player Lil, and since then he's proven himself as once of the best support players in the world.
*** '''Offlane: Pavel '9pasha' Khvastunov'''
*** '''Coach: Ivan 'Artstyle' Antonov''': The former captain and drafter of Na'Vi, their old teammate from their glory days who came back from retirement in an attempt to drag them out of their slump. Known as a master drafter and the 'China-Slayer', he has now retired from competition to take on a coaching role, now becoming VP's coach.


** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly a part of the NA region for a long time, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they are now a part of EU Dota 2. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and Team Secret, and [=PSG.LGD=]. With a 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. Currently, they are 3rd in the Pro Circuit, with 6084 points. Also, they still haven't won a Major this season, bombing out of their latest one at 7th-9th, with their last shot at winning one at the Supermajor.
*** '''Support/Captain: Kuro '[=KuroKy=]' Salehi Takhasomi''': Ex-Na'Vi and Secret, he has really come onto his own after departing from Secret, stepping down from being the carry of his team to being their support, captain, and drafter. Considered as one of ''the'' veterans of Dota 2, he has participated in all 7 iterations of The International, finally winning the latest one. People have praised him for his leadership style and drafting, and his success will just continue, as it looks like the team may be set for a direct invite for The International 2018.
*** '''Carry: Lasse 'MATUMBAMAN' Urpalainen ''': A Finnish player, he was one of the original four players that played with Kuro when they were a part of [=5Jungz=], known for his Lone Druid and Necrophos.
*** '''Offlane: Ivan Borislavov '[=MinD_ContRoL=]' Ivanov''': Another one of the original four, he's known for his Nature's Prophet play.
*** '''Midlane: Amer '[=Miracle-=]' Al-Barqawi''': Ex-OG, at the start of his career he was a pubstar with the highest MMR in the world, which was part of why former teammate [=n0tail=] pursued him to join the team. Just two months into his pro career, he had already won a Major. But after a shocking elimination at the hands of TNC at [=TI6=], he left the team to join this team, and while the team's had moderate results initially, but not to the point of being considered one of the best, it wasn't until the player below this entry joined the team. He's known for his Anti-Mage, Queen of Pain, and even a pocket Earthshaker.
*** '''Support: Maroun 'GH' Merhej''': Another former pubstar, he joined the team at the dawn of 2017 (literally; he joined Liquid on January 2, 2017), and subsequently turned the team's fortunes around, as after picking him up, this was when they began their dominance on the EU scene. Considered as one of the best supports in the world, he's known for his Io, Keeper of the Light, and support Earthshaker. And one more thing to consider: ''he won the Aegis of Champions just eight months into his professional career.'' It was a very successful rookie year for the Lebanese player.


** '''Team Secret''': Europe's All-Star team, comprising the best players from some of the best teams around. Were burdened by heavy expectations when they formed and went through a few roster changes of their own. Even then, they continued to fall short of the finish multiple times- however, recent signs have shown them becoming a dominant force equaled only by very few others. Prior to The International 2016, they are the only team not named OG to have won a Valve Major, which was held in Shanghai. Even with their subpar 3rd-4th place finish at GESC Thailand, they've earned enough points to earn themselves a direct invite to [=TI8=]. Currently, they are 4th in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 4800 points.
*** '''Support/Captain: Clement 'Puppey' Ivanov''': Legendary support player, captain and drafter. Ex-Na'Vi, and led the team to greatness for three years. Known for his spectacular jungle play and genius drafting. One of the most popular players around. He has also participated in all 7 iterations of The International, winning the very first one with Natus Vincere.
*** '''Carry: Marcus 'Ace' Hoelgaard'''
*** '''Mid: Yeik '[=MidOne=]' Nai Zheng''': Ex-Fnatic. It's in his name. He's considered one of the best midlaners in the world.
*** '''Offlane: Adrien 'Fata' Trinks''': Ex-Liquid, after leaving the team to take a break from competitive Dota, he soon returned to play, this time joining Secret as an Offlaner.
*** '''Support: Yaziel' [=YapzOr=]' Jaradat'''

*** '''Support/Captain: Johan '[=N0tail=]' Sundstein''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and [=Cloud9=], he now returns to the carry role, and is still known for his Meepo and Io. During one game, when one of their teammates got disconnected from the match and could not be able to reconnect, he decided to play his teammate's hero, which was Io. Fortunately, he was playing as Tiny, and the two heroes have great synergy, and with his reputation as one of the best Io players in the world, he had no problems playing two heroes. The team won that game despite essentially going [=4v5=].
*** '''Support: Jesse '[=JerAx=]' Vainikka''': Ex-Team Liquid, he had departed from that team to take a break from professional Dota, but soon enough returned to action, this time as part of OG, proving himself as a very reliable support.
*** '''Offlane: Sébastien '[=7ckngmad=]' Debs''': Formerly a coach for OG, after Reso's departure he became the team's temporary replacement, but with [=s4=] and Fly's switch to EG, he has now started to play full-time as a player.
*** '''Carry: Anathan 'ana' Pham''': A key player in the team's victories in the Boston and Kiev Majors, he now returns to the team as a carry once again.
*** '''Midlane: Tovias 'Topson' Taavitsainen'''

*** '''Coach: Jonathan 'Loda' Berg''': ''Dota'' legendary player that created many playstyles and helped many heroes enter the competitive scene with a wide hero pool thanks to his experience in the scene. Sometimes, he was the drafter of the team. His signature hero is very rarely seen on the competitive scene: Phantom Assassin. Dubbed "L-god" by the Chinese community. He announced his retirement on June 3, 2018, stepping down from an active role to be a coach for the team.
*** '''Carry: Maximillian 'qojqva' Bröcker'''
*** '''Mid: Michael '[=miCKe=]' Vu'''
*** '''Offlane: Samuel 'Boxi' Svahn'''
*** '''Support: Aydin '[=iNSaNiA=]' Sarkohi'''
*** '''Support: Tommy 'Taiga' Le'''

*** '''Mid/Captain: Danil 'Dendi' Ishutin''': Regarded as one of the best mid players in the world... and he has the skill and guts to prove it. A very aggressive player in-game and very friendly person offline, he has many, many fans. His signature hero is Pudge, which always made spectators jump from their chairs if picked. His playstyle is one of aggression and teamfight control, with high-mobility heroes such as Puck and Templar Assassin. One of the three subjects of the Valve-produced documentary, ''Film/FreeToPlay''. Now, while he's still playing in his best role as their midlaner, with Sonneiko's departure, he has now become the captain of the team.
*** '''Offlane: Victor '[=GeneRaL=]' Nigrini'''
*** '''Carry: Vladislav' Crystallize' Krystanek'''
*** '''Support: Fedor 'velheor' Rusihin'''
*** '''Support: Ilya 'Lil' Ilyuk''': Longtime VP support, he was traded to Na'Vi for [=RodjER=].
*** '''Coach: Alexander 'XBOCT' Dashkevich''': One of the craziest carry players in the world, be it his farming skill, positioning or overall aggressiveness... and his attitude offline. His signature hero is Lifestealer, Weaver, and Faceless Void. His YOLO playstyle is either epic or an epic fail... coined the term "XBOCT Throws" because of it. XBOCT means "tail" in Russian (you read it as "hvost"). He has now taken a step back from the competitive game he has played so much to become a coach for the team that he was with in its first few years of Dota 2.

*** '''Support/Captain: Tal 'Fly' Aizik''': Ex-Secret, [=coL=], and Fnatic, the longest-tenured player of OG alongside [=N0tail=] up to this point, a well-versed drafter and captain, results in the Pro Circuit have not gone well for his old team, causing a massive shift that changed both teams. Reuniting with his fellow support teammate [=Cr1t=], he now hopes to lead this team to a berth at TI.
*** '''Offlane: Gustav '[=s4=]' Magnusson''': A legendary player as part of the 2013 Alliance team that won [=TI3=], known for the 'Million Dollar Dream Coils' in the grand finals, but since then he's not had much success until he joined OG post [=TI6=], winning two majors with the team. After underwhelming results in the Pro Circuit, he rejoins his old Secret teammate Arteezy in hopes to qualify for TI through the Open Qualifiers.
*** '''Carry: Artour 'Arteezy' Babaev''': A player who's known to experiment in his position, he's still considered as one of the best, but not so much anymore. He's known for switching between EG and Team Secret, and is also known for the Babyrage meme. With Fear's departure, he now stays as the carry of the team.
*** '''Midlane: Syed Sumail 'Suma1l' Hassan''': Youngest ''Dota 2'' competitive player that play in highest tier with HUGE potential and a crowd pleaser with his mechanical skills and flashy, extremely aggresive performance. Only 15 years-old and from Pakistan, his Storm Spirit is a thing of beauty to watch. Since switching to play in the Offlane to make room for Fear and Arteezy, however, he's struggled. After Fear's departure, he's returned to the midlane to make way for [=s4=] in the offlane, to which he's become good at during his time with OG. Hopefully, Sumail's return to the midlane role will put him back to form.
*** '''Support: Andreas Franck '[=Cr1t-=]' Nielsen''' Ex-OG, he is a 2-time Major winner with the team. After [=TI6=], he joined the team, hoping for a fresh start.

*** '''Support/Captain: Peter 'ppd' Dager''': Former captain of EG and one of the best Captains in the world. One of the most selfless support player in the scene, often having an obscenely low net worth and known to favor defensively oriented support heroes such as Treant Protector. Known for his 'saltiness'.
*** '''Support: Ludwig 'zai' Wahlberg'''
*** '''Carry: Per Anders Olsson 'Pajkatt' Lille'''
*** '''Midlane: Quinn '[=CC&C=]' Callahan'''
*** '''Offlane: Neta '33' Shapira'''

*** '''Carry: Yawar '[=YawaR=]' Hassan''': Sumail's brother.
*** '''Midlane: Roman '[=Resolut1on=]' Fominok''': Ukrainian prodigy who was a part of the Digital Chaos squad that made their huge dark horse run at The International 2016. Famously, as he was supposed to be an analyst for the following year's International, he was picked up as a Stand-in for Team Empire after Chappie, their carry, was unable to acquire a visa in time. Still, despite a subpar group stage performance by the team, they upset Evil Geniuses in the lower bracket, before falling to eventual champions Team Liquid. Since then, he joined OG, but left for unknown reasons after just six months. He was a Stand-in for Effect at DAC 2018, and eventually joined this team, replacing Timado.
*** '''Offlane: Jingjun 'Sneyking' Wu'''
*** '''Support: Arif 'MSS' Anwar'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Avery 'SVG' Silverman'''

*** '''Carry: Wang' Ame' Chungyu'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Xu 'fy' Linsen''': A veritable support, he is feared for Rubick, making a mark for himself at The International 2015, and he's sometimes called 'f-God'.
*** '''Offlane: Yang 'Chalice' Shenyi'''
*** '''Mid: Lu 'Somnus丶M' Yao''': A Dota 2 veteran, he's either called this or his old name of Maybe. He's stuck with LGD since 2015, and has grown immensely as a player.
*** '''Support: Yap 'xNova' Jiang Wei'''

*** '''Mid: Lin 'Xxs' Jing'''
*** '''Carry: Sun 'Agressif' Zheng''': One of the five players from the CDEC Gaming roster that finished in 2nd place at [=TI5=], coming from the wildcards all the way to the Grand Final.
*** '''Support: Ye '[=BoBoKa=]' Zhibiao'''
*** '''Offlane: Sun 'Srf' Runfa'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Fu 'Q' Bin'''

*** '''Support/Captain: Lu 'Fenrir' Chao''':
*** '''Support: Zhang '[=LaNm=]' Zhicheng'''
*** '''Offlane: Ren '[=eLeVeN=]' Yangwei'''
*** '''Mid: Zheng 'Ori' Jiaoyang'''
*** '''Carry: Zhang 'Paparazi灬' Chengjun'''
*** '''Coach: Tong 'Mikasa' Junjie'''

*** '''Carry: Xu 'Moogy' Han'''
*** '''Midlane: Song 'Sccc' Chun'''
*** '''Offlane: Damien 'kpii' Chok'''
*** '''Support: Hu 'Kaka' Liangzhi'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Zheng 'Faith' Hongda''': A TI winner from the Invictus Gaming roster in 2012, he becomes the latest player (along with [=KuroKy=]) to have participated in a TI Grand Final twice. He still continues his role from [=iG=] as Newbee's captain and drafter.

*** '''Carry: Liu 'Sylar' Jiajun'''
*** '''Midlane: Liu 'Freeze' Chang'''
*** '''Offlane: Zhou 'Yang' Haiyang'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Pan 'Fade' Yi'''
*** '''Support: Leong 'ddc' Fat-meng (on loan from LGD.Forever Young)''': One of the veterans of Dota 2, he is one of three players who have participated in all 7 iterations of The International (the other two being [=KuroKy=] and Puppey).

*** '''Midlane: Chai 'Mushi' Yee Fung''': One of the best midlaners in the world, Mushi was a part of the famous Orange.Neolution roster that garnered 3rd place at The International 2013. He was also part of the Team DK roster that placed 4th at The International 2014 and the Fnatic roster that placed 4th at The International 2016.
*** '''Offlane: Daryl Koh 'iceiceice' Pei Xiang'''
*** '''Carry: Kam 'Moon' Boon Seng'''
*** '''Support: Anuncha 'Jabz' Jirawong'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Michael 'ninjaboogie' Ross Jr.'''

** '''TNC Pro Team''': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [='DeMoN'=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[UnderdogsNeverLose won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they are currently 17th with 495 points.
*** '''Midlane: Armel Paul 'Armel' Tabios''': The recent pick-up for TNC after 1437's departure, he's a talented midlaner who is beginning to really show his own prowess in the scene.
*** '''Offlane: Sam '[=Sam_H=]' Hidalgo'''
*** '''Carry: Marc Polo Luis 'Raven' Fausto'''
*** '''Support: Timothy 'Tims' Randrup''': A support known for his Nyx Assassin and Sand King plays.
*** '''Support/Captain: Carlo 'Kuku' Palad''': A former midlaner, once the organization picked up Armel, he now plays the hard support role for the team. However, like Team Liquid's Kuroky, he has transitioned well into being the team's captain and drafter, and the team has become known for their warding prowess.
*** '''Coach: Nico 'eyyou' Barcelon'''

*** '''Carry: Jacky '[=EternaLEnVy=]' Mao''': Ex-C9 and Secret, he's now the leader for this SEA squad, and he's still a player who's either delivered when it mattered, or couldn't.
*** '''Midlane: Abed Azel 'Abed' Yusop''': A Filipino who was the first to reach 10k MMR, he's known for playing well on complex heroes, such as Meepo, Tinker, and Invoker.
*** '''Offlane: Saahil 'Universe' Arora''': Ex-Evil Geniuses and Secret, after leaving the NA team, he was the player that replaced Fnatic mainstay Ohaiyo, who, as stated in the above, was informed of his release by the team during a pizza party. Still, Uni has continued to play well, known for his Tidehunter and Faceless Void, and so far, it seems that the replacement has been worth it, but time will tell if it leads to a qualification for the 2018 International.
*** '''Support: Djardel Jicko 'DJ' Mampusti''': Another Filipino (and the only other SEA player for the team), he's a very viable support known for his Shadow Shaman and Enigma, especially Enigma, during Fnatic's match against LGD Gaming at the 2016 Manila Major.
*** '''Support/Captain: Johan 'pieliedie' Åström''': Ex-Secret and C9, he still occasionally plays the rare Position 6 role.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=]. The Battle Pass has been announced, and with that, the contributions to the prize pool have started, already hitting $10 million in just ''12 days''. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. So far, Virtus.Pro, Team Liquid, Team Secret, and [=PSG.LGD=] have secured themselves an automatic invite, passing the minimum number of points needed to automatically qualify, so even if they don't win any points from that point on, it would not matter. It should be noted that as each Major and Minor passes, depending on the results, the point threshold becomes lower and lower as the DPC comes to an end with the last Major in the season, in this case being the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor, which comes in June 2. Immediately after, all 8 teams would then be determined and invited.

** 5th: '''Mineski''' - 3150 points
** 6th: '''Vici Gaming''' - 2835 points
** 7th: '''Newbee''' - 2445 points
** 8th: '''[=VGJ.Thunder=]''' - 1935 points

*** '''Carry: [=RAMZES666=]''': Known for his signature Lifestealer, he's currently considered as one of the best players in the world.
*** '''Support/Captain: Solo''': Yes, he's ''that'' Solo, the player who bet $100 against his own team and threw his match, and his winnings would've amounted to [[MemeticMutation [=$322=]]]. Since then, he's worked hard to regain his reputation, and while '322' will [[NeverLiveItDown not be forgotten]], he's gotten back into the good graces of fans around the community, and he's now VP's captain and drafter.
*** '''Mid: [=No[o]ne=]'''
*** '''Support: [=RodjER=]''': Ex-Team Empire and Na'Vi, he was traded to VP for longtime VP support player Lil, and since then he's proven himself as once of the best support players in the world.
*** '''Offlane: 9pasha'''
*** '''Coach: Artstyle''': The former captain and drafter of Na'Vi, their old teammate from their glory days who came back from retirement in an attempt to drag them out of their slump. Known as a master drafter and the 'China-Slayer', he has now retired from competition to take on a coaching role, now becoming VP's coach.

*** '''Support/Captain: [=KuroKy=]''': Ex-Na'Vi and Secret, he has really come onto his own after departing from Secret, stepping down from being the carry of his team to being their support, captain, and drafter. Considered as one of ''the'' veterans of Dota 2, he has participated in all 7 iterations of The International, finally winning the latest one. People have praised him for his leadership style and drafting, and his success will just continue, as it looks like the team may be set for a direct invite for The International 2018.
*** '''Carry: MATUMBAMAN''': A Finnish player, he was one of the original four players that played with Kuro when they were a part of [=5Jungz=], known for his Lone Druid and Necrophos.
*** '''Offlane: [=MinD_ContRoL=]''': Another one of the original four, he's known for his Nature's Prophet play.
*** '''Midlane: [=Miracle-=]''': Ex-OG, at the start of his career he was a pubstar with the highest MMR in the world, which was part of why former teammate [=n0tail=] pursued him to join the team. Just two months into his pro career, he had already won a Major. But after a shocking elimination at the hands of TNC at [=TI6=], he left the team to join this team, and while the team's had moderate results initially, but not to the point of being considered one of the best, it wasn't until the player below this entry joined the team. He's known for his Anti-Mage, Queen of Pain, and even a pocket Earthshaker.
*** '''Support: GH''': Another former pubstar, he joined the team at the dawn of 2017 (literally; he joined Liquid on January 2, 2017), and subsequently turned the team's fortunes around, as after picking him up, this was when they began their dominance on the EU scene. Considered as one of the best supports in the world, he's known for his Io, Keeper of the Light, and support Earthshaker. And one more thing to consider: ''he won the Aegis of Champions just eight months into his professional career.'' It was a very successful rookie year for the Lebanese player.

*** '''Support/Captain: Puppey''': Legendary support player, captain and drafter. Ex-Na'Vi, and led the team to greatness for three years. Known for his spectacular jungle play and genius drafting. One of the most popular players around. He has also participated in all 7 iterations of The International, winning the very first one with Natus Vincere.
*** '''Carry: Ace'''
*** '''Mid: [=MidOne=]''': Ex-Fnatic. It's in his name. He's considered one of the best midlaners in the world.
*** '''Offlane: Fata''': Ex-Liquid, after leaving the team to take a break from competitive Dota, he soon returned to play, this time joining Secret as an Offlaner.
*** '''Support: [=YapzOr=]'''


** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] They are 14th in the Pro Circuit with 930 points. But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit, [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]] Fly and [=s4's=] move to Evil Geniuses, and [=7ckngmad's=] return to coaching the team, the status of OG is now up in the air, especially after they have withdrawn from the China Supermajor.
*** '''Carry: [=n0tail=]''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and [=Cloud9=], he now returns to the carry role, and is still known for his Meepo and Io. During one game, when one of their teammates got disconnected from the match and could not be able to reconnect, he decided to play his teammate's hero, which was Io. Fortunately, he was playing as Tiny, and the two heroes have great synergy, and with his reputation as one of the best Io players in the world, he had no problems playing two heroes. The team won that game despite essentially going [=4v5=].
*** '''Support: [=JerAx=]''': Ex-Team Liquid, he had departed from that team to take a break from professional Dota, but soon enough returned to action, this time as part of OG, proving himself as a very reliable support.

*** '''Carry/Captain: Loda''': ''Dota'' legendary player that created many playstyles and helped many heroes enter the competitive scene with a wide hero pool thanks to his experience in the scene. Sometimes, he was the drafter of the team. His signature hero is very rarely seen on the competitive scene: Phantom Assassin. Dubbed "L-god" by the Chinese community. In a recent podcast with [=TheScore eSports=] at the latter half of 2017, he has stated that he will retire after 2 more Internationals.
*** '''Mid: [=miCKe=]'''
*** '''Offlane: Boxi'''
*** '''Support: [=iNSaNiA=]'''
*** '''Support: Taiga'''

*** '''Mid/Captain: Dendi''': Regarded as one of the best mid players in the world... and he has the skill and guts to prove it. A very aggressive player in-game and very friendly person offline, he has many, many fans. His signature hero is Pudge, which always made spectators jump from their chairs if picked. His playstyle is one of aggression and teamfight control, with high-mobility heroes such as Puck and Templar Assassin. One of the three subjects of the Valve-produced documentary, ''Film/FreeToPlay''. Now, while he's still playing in his best role as their midlaner, with Sonneiko's departure, he has now become the captain of the team.
*** '''Offlane: [=GeneRaL=]'''
*** '''Carry: Crystallize'''
*** '''Support: velheor'''
*** '''Support: Lil''': Longtime VP support, he was traded to Na'Vi for [=RodjER=].
*** '''Coach: XBOCT''': One of the craziest carry players in the world, be it his farming skill, positioning or overall aggressiveness... and his attitude offline. His signature hero is Lifestealer, Weaver, and Faceless Void. His YOLO playstyle is either epic or an epic fail... coined the term "XBOCT Throws" because of it. XBOCT means "tail" in Russian (you read it as "hvost"). He has now taken a step back from the competitive game he has played so much to become a coach for the team that he was with in its first few years of Dota 2.

*** '''Support/Captain: Fly''': Ex-Secret, [=coL=], and Fnatic, the longest-tenured player of OG alongside [=N0tail=] up to this point, a well-versed drafter and captain, results in the Pro Circuit have not gone well for his old team, causing a massive shift that changed both teams. Reuniting with his fellow support teammate [=Cr1t=], he now hopes to lead this team to a berth at TI.
*** '''Offlane: [=s4=]''': A legendary player as part of the 2013 Alliance team that won [=TI3=], known for the 'Million Dollar Dream Coils' in the grand finals, since then he's not had much success until he joined OG post [=TI6=], winning two majors with the team. After underwhelming results in the Pro Circuit, he rejoins his old Secret teammate Arteezy in hopes to qualify for TI through the Open Qualifiers.
*** '''Carry: Arteezy''': A player who's known to experiment in his position, he's still considered as one of the best, but not so much anymore. He's known for switching between EG and Team Secret, and is also known for the Babyrage meme. With Fear's departure, he now stays as the carry of the team.
*** '''Midlane: Sumail''': Youngest ''Dota 2'' competitive player that play in highest tier with HUGE potential and a crowd pleaser with his mechanical skills and flashy, extremely aggresive performance. Only 15 years-old and from Pakistan, his Storm Spirit is a thing of beauty to watch. Since switching to play in the Offlane to make room for Fear and Arteezy, however, he's struggled. After Fear's departure, he's returned to the midlane to make way for [=s4=] in the offlane, to which he's become good at during his time with OG. Hopefully, Sumail's return to the midlane role will put him back to form.
*** '''Support: [=Cr1t-=]''' Ex-OG, he is a 2-time Major winner with the team. After [=TI6=], he joined the team, hoping for a fresh start.

*** '''Support/Captain: ppd''': Former captain of EG and one of the best Captains in the world. One of the most selfless support player in the scene, often having an obscenely low net worth and known to favor defensively oriented support heroes such as Treant Protector. Known for his 'saltiness'.
*** '''Support: zai'''
*** '''Carry: Pajkatt'''
*** '''Midlane: [=CC&C=]'''
*** '''Offlane: 33'''

*** '''Carry: [=YawaR=]''': Sumail's brother.
*** '''Midlane: [=Resolut1on=]''': Ukrainian prodigy who was a part of the Digital Chaos squad that made their huge dark horse run at The International 2016. Famously, as he was supposed to be an analyst for the following year's International, he was picked up as a Stand-in for Team Empire after Chappie, their carry, was unable to acquire a visa in time. Still, despite a subpar group stage performance by the team, they upset Evil Geniuses in the lower bracket, before falling to eventual champions Team Liquid. Since then, he joined OG, but left for unknown reasons after just six months. He was a Stand-in for Effect at DAC 2018, and eventually joined this team, replacing Timado.
*** '''Offlane: Sneyking'''
*** '''Support: MSS'''
*** '''Support/Captain: SVG'''

*** '''Carry: Ame'''
*** '''Support/Captain: fy'''
*** '''Offlane: Chalice'''
*** '''Mid: Somnus`M''': He's either called this or his old name of Maybe.
*** '''Support: xNova'''

*** '''Mid: Xxs'''
*** '''Carry: Agressif''': One of the five players from the CDEC Gaming roster that finished in 2nd place at [=TI5=], coming from the wildcards all the way to the Grand Final.
*** '''Support: [=BoBoKa=]'''
*** '''Offlane: Srf'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Q'''

*** '''Support: Fenrir''':
*** '''Support: [=LaNm=]'''
*** '''Offlane: [=eLeVeN=]'''
*** '''Mid: Ori'''
*** '''Carry: Paparazi'''

*** '''Carry: Moogy'''
*** '''Midlane: Sccc'''
*** '''Offlane: kpii'''
*** '''Support: [=KaKa=]'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Faith''': A TI winner from the Invictus Gaming roster in 2012, he becomes the latest player (along with [=KuroKy=]) to have participated in a TI Grand Final twice. He still continues his role from [=iG=] as Newbee's captain and drafter.

*** '''Carry: Sylar'''
*** '''Midlane: Freeze'''
*** '''Offlane: Yang'''
*** '''Support/Captain: Fade'''
*** '''Support: ddc (on loan from LGD.Forever Young)''': One of the veterans of Dota 2, he is one of three players who have participated in all 7 iterations of The International (the other two being [=KuroKy=] and Puppey).

*** '''Midlane: Mushi''': One of the best midlaners in the world, Mushi was a part of the famous Orange.Neolution roster that garnered 3rd place at The International 2013. He was also part of the Team DK roster that placed 4th at The International 2014 and the Fnatic roster that placed 4th at The International 2016.
*** '''Offlane: iceiceice'''
*** '''Carry: Moon'''
*** '''Support: Jabz'''
*** '''Support/Captain: ninjaboogie'''

*** '''Midlane: Armel''': The recent pick-up for TNC after 1437's departure, he's a talented midlaner who is beginning to really show his own prowess in the scene.
*** '''Offlane: [=Sam_H=]'''
*** '''Carry: Raven'''
*** '''Support: Tims''': A support known for his Nyx Assassin and Sand King plays.
*** '''Support/Captain: Kuku''': A former midlaner, once the organization picked up Armel, he now plays the hard support role for the team. However, like Team Liquid's Kuroky, he has transitioned well into being the team's captain and drafter, and the team has become known for their warding prowess.

*** '''Carry/Captain: [=EternaLEnVy=]''': Ex-C9 and Secret, he's now the leader for this SEA squad, and he's still a player who's either delivered when it mattered, or couldn't.
*** '''Midlane: Abed''': A Filipino who was the first to reach 10k MMR, he's known for playing well on complex heroes, such as Meepo, Tinker, and Invoker.
*** '''Offlane: Universe''': Ex-Evil Geniuses and Secret, after leaving the NA team, he was the player that replaced Fnatic mainstay Ohaiyo, who, as stated in the above, was informed of his release by the team during a pizza party. Still, Uni has continued to play well, known for his Tidehunter and Faceless Void, and so far, it seems that the replacement has been worth it, but time will tell if it leads to a qualification for the 2018 International.
*** '''Support: DJ''': Another Filipino (and the only other SEA player for the team), he's a very viable support known for his Shadow Shaman and Enigma, especially Enigma, during Fnatic's match against LGD Gaming at the 2016 Manila Major.
*** '''Support: pieliedie''': Ex-Secret and C9, he still occasionally plays the rare Position 6 role.

*** Home of Faker, widely considered to be the best League of Legends player in the world, and indisputably the best mid-laner in the world. First team to win multiple world titles, as well as first team to win two titles back to back. Their winning streak was ended when Samsung Galaxy met them in the Finals for the second straight year and swept them.

** '''Saigon Jokers'''

** '''[=OpTic=] Gaming''': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai. AFter their 2nd place finish at Birmingham, they are 9th in the Pro Circuit, with 1800 points, just short of making it to the top 8, as Birmingham was their final appearance.

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] They are 14th in the Pro Circuit with 930 points. But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit, [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]] they are not eligible for a direct invite, and must go through the Open Qualifiers to make it there...
*** '''Support/Captain: Fly''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and Complexity, he formed the team with his best friend [=n0tail=].

*** '''Offlane: [=s4=]''': Ex-Alliance and Secret, he went to the team after a disappointing performance at [=TI6=], rejoining his former teammates from Secret. He has had moderate success since then, but time will tell if he'll win the Aegis a second time.
*** '''Midlane: [=7ckngmad=]''': The team's coach when they had the full 5-man roster, he had to play as part of the team's lineup after Reso's departure. They might be able to find a suitable replacement for Reso, but for now, the team's coach will have to play with the team.

** '''Evil Geniuses''': The premiere North American e-sports organization, boasting highly-successful players across each competitive game. EG's Dota teams also bear some Dota legendary players. The current squad was formed from the team S A D B O Y S, which is one of the most dominant team during 2014 despite Fear's absent from the team. Following Fear's return, and a roster changes, they consistently shows dominant performance in every tournament with a popular rivalry with Team Secret. Won DAC and The International 2015. Also infamous for being a slow starter, they will perform poorly in Day 1 of the tournament only to come back big time in the final days of the tournament which gives them a consistent showing on the Grand Finals. Since then, the team hasn't had much success after [=TI5=], 3rd place finish at [=TI6=] aside, with their lowest point being a 9th-12th finish at The International 2017, upset by Team Empire. With 1335 points to their name, they are currently ranked 11th in the DPC. As of post-Birmingham, EG have removed MISERY from their lineup and are looking for a support in time for the Supermajor in China.
***
*** '''Carry/Midlane: Fear''': ''Dota'' legendary player that made a splash in the competitive scene with his orthodox heroes and playstyle. One of the subjects of the Valve-produced documentary, ''Film/FreeToPlay''. During the 2011 recording of ''Free to Play'', he was a member of the European multinational team, Online Kingdom, despite still living in the United States. Absent during The International 2014 due to hand injury, Fear has since then made his return to the competitive scene. He is known for his extremely massive hero pool, and versatility, being shown to play Mid, Carry, and Position 4 support on a very high standard. Currently, he switches roles with Arteezy, to varying results.
*** '''Carry/Midlane: Arteezy''': A player who's known to experiment in his position, he's still considered as one of the best, but not so much anymore. He's known for switching between EG and Team Secret, and is also known for the Babyrage meme. He sometimes switches roles with fellow EG teammate Fear, to varying results.
*** '''Offlane: Sumail''': Youngest ''Dota 2'' competitive player that play in highest tier with HUGE potential and a crowd pleaser with his mechanical skills and flashy, extremely aggresive performance. Only 15 years-old and from Pakistan, his Storm Spirit is a thing of beauty to watch. Since switching to play in the Offlane to make room for Fear and Arteezy, however, he's struggled.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=]. The Battle Pass has been announced, and with that, the contributions to the prize pool have started, already hitting $10 million in just ''12 days''. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. So far, Virtus.Pro, Team Liquid, Team Secret, and [=PSG.LGD=] have secured themselves an automatic invite, passing the minimum number of points needed to automatically qualify, so even if they don't win any points from that point on, it would not matter. It should be noted that as each Major and Minor passes, depending on the results, the point threshold becomes lower and lower as the DPC comes to an end with the last Major in the season, in this case being the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor, which comes in June 2. Immediately after, all 8 teams would then be determined.

Here are the current top 8 teams of the Dota Pro Circuit, with the current point threshold requirement being 4162 points as of MDL Changsha Major:
** 1st: '''[=Virtus.pro=]''' - 8097 points (Earned Direct Invite with their win at The Bucharest Major in March)

** '''[=Virtus.pro=]''': Currently the best team in the world, they have won three majors [[note]] with two won back-to-back, and would've had a chance to go for a hat trick had it not been for LGD, who eliminated them in 3rd at DAC 2018 [[/note]] in the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, and as a result, have already secured themselves an invite to The International 2018. They are known for their very deep hero pool, and at one time, in a single tournament, they almost never picked the same hero twice in their matches. They are first in the DPC rankings, with 8097 points.

** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly a part of the NA region for a long time, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they are now a part of EU Dota 2. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and Team Secret, and possibly, Mineski. With a 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. Currently, they are 3rd in the Pro Circuit, with 6084 points.

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners, [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]] and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly. [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]] They are 13th in the Pro Circuit with 930 points. But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit, [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]] they are not eligible for a direct invite, and must go through the Open Qualifiers to make it there...

** '''Natus Vincere''': Abbreviated "Na'Vi", they are an Ukrainian team that were in The International grand finals three times in a row and the winner of the first International in Germany. To sum their playstyle in a sentence: they will do things that make you wonder, enough said (or: they fight you under your tower, they kill you under your tower, they destroy your tower), a hyper-aggressive team. They used to be the most consistent and best team for a long period; however, like Alliance, they are now a remnant of the glory days in its first few years of Dota 2. None became more evident of it than when they had been unable to qualify for The International 2017, marking the first time in the tournament's history that the team will not participate. Still, many players and fans of the Dota 2 community will remember their time as the best team in the world in its early years. Recent news have taken the community by storm: Not only did they replace their newest player, thus rendering themselves ineligible for a direct invite and a regional qualifier invite, they also pulled out of participating at ESL One Birmingham, opting to train instead. Time will tell if this change could help the team in dire need of an in-game coordinator, as they must go through the Open Qualifiers now. They are ranked at #11 in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 1199 points.

** '''Evil Geniuses''': The premiere North American e-sports organization, boasting highly-successful players across each competitive game. EG's Dota teams also bear some Dota legendary players. The current squad was formed from the team S A D B O Y S, which is one of the most dominant team during 2014 despite Fear's absent from the team. Following Fear's return, and a roster changes, they consistently shows dominant performance in every tournament with a popular rivalry with Team Secret. Won DAC and The International 2015. Also infamous for being a slow starter, they will perform poorly in Day 1 of the tournament only to come back big time in the final days of the tournament which gives them a consistent showing on the Grand Finals. Since then, the team hasn't had much success after [=TI5=], 3rd place finish at [=TI6=] aside, with their lowest point being a 9th-12th finish at The International 2017, upset by Team Empire. With 1335 points to their name, they are currently ranked 10th in the DPC.
*** '''Support/Captain: MISERY''': Ex-Secret and Digital Chaos, he joined the team a few months after their former captain's departure. He's a versatile player who's played many roles in the past and is known for his Bane.

** '''[=OpTic=] Gaming''': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai. They are 15th in the Pro Circuit, with 450 points.

** '''[=VGJ.Storm=]''': Formed in September 2017, they are the North American sister team of [=VGJ.Thunder=]. Despite the roster changes after the lock, most notably and recently the addition of Ex-OG player [=Resolut1on=], and thus must qualify to TI through the Open Qualifiers, the team is slowly rising to possibly be the contender for North America, winning the GESC Thailand Minor after upsetting Fnatic in the semis and beating Keen Gaming in consecutive sweeps. However, they must go through [=OpTic=] and EG to do so. They have two more showings to prove themselves before the open qualifiers, in the MDL Changsha Major and the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor. At MDL, they put on a hell of a performance, getting all the way to the grand finals before falling to [=PSG.LGD=]. This team is certainly on the rise. They are 9th in the DPC, with 1347 points.

** '''TNC Pro Team''': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [='DeMoN'=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[UnderdogsNeverLose won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. They are currently placed outside the top 8 in the Pro Circuit rankings, at 15th with 495 points.

** '''Fnatic''': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They are ranked #12 in the DPC, with 1040 points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=], and as of now, the prize pool and Battle Pass (which replaced the Compendium starting at [=TI5=]) has not been announced yet. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. So far, Virtus.Pro, Team Liquid, and Team Secret have secured themselves an automatic invite, passing the minimum number of points needed to automatically qualify, so even if they don't win any points from that point on, it would not matter. It should be noted that as each Major and Minor passes, depending on the results, the point threshold becomes lower and lower as the DPC comes to an end with the last Major in the season, in this case being the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor, which comes in June 2. Immediately after, all 8 teams would then be determined.

Here are the current top 8 teams of the Dota Pro Circuit, with the current point threshold requirement being 4747 points as of GESC Thailand Minor:

** 2nd: '''Team Liquid''' - 6084 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL in May)
** 3rd: '''Team Secret''' - 4800 points (Earned Direct Invite with their 3rd-4th place finish at GESC Thailand Minor in May)
** 4th: '''[=PSG.LGD=]''' - 4071 points

** 6th: '''Newbee''' - 2220 points
** 7th: '''Vici Gaming''' - 2160 points

** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly a part of the NA region for a long time, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they are now a part of EU Dota 2. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and Team Secret, and possibly, Mineski. With a 2nd place finish at EPICENTER XL, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. Currently, they are 2nd in the Pro Circuit, with 6084 points.

** '''Team Secret''': Europe's All-Star team, comprising the best players from some of the best teams around. Were burdened by heavy expectations when they formed and went through a few roster changes of their own. Even then, they continued to fall short of the finish multiple times- however, recent signs have shown them becoming a dominant force equaled only by very few others. Prior to The International 2016, they are the only team not named OG to have won a Valve Major, which was held in Shanghai. Even with their subpar 3rd-4th place finish at GESC Thailand, they've earned enough points to earn themselves a direct invite to [=TI8=]. Currently, they are 3rd in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 4800 points.

** '''OG''': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]], and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]]. But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]], they are not eligible for a direct invite, and must go through the Open Qualifiers to make it there...

** '''Natus Vincere''': Abbreviated "Na'Vi", they are an Ukrainian team that were in The International grand finals three times in a row and the winner of the first International in Germany. To sum their playstyle in a sentence: they will do things that make you wonder, enough said (or: they fight you under your tower, they kill you under your tower, they destroy your tower), a hyper-aggressive team. They used to be the most consistent and best team for a long period; however, like Alliance, they are now a remnant of the glory days in its first few years of Dota 2. None became more evident of it than when they had been unable to qualify for The International 2017, marking the first time in the tournament's history that the team will not participate. Still, many players and fans of the Dota 2 community will remember their time as the best team in the world in its early years. They are ranked at #10 in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 1199 points.

*** '''Support: [=LeBronDota=]'''

** '''Evil Geniuses''': The premiere North American e-sports organization, boasting highly-successful players across each competitive game. EG's Dota teams also bear some Dota legendary players. The current squad was formed from the team S A D B O Y S, which is one of the most dominant team during 2014 despite Fear's absent from the team. Following Fear's return, and a roster changes, they consistently shows dominant performance in every tournament with a popular rivalry with Team Secret. Won DAC and The International 2015. Also infamous for being a slow starter, they will perform poorly in Day 1 of the tournament only to come back big time in the final days of the tournament which gives them a consistent showing on the Grand Finals. Since then, the team hasn't had much success after [=TI5=], 3rd place finish at [=TI6=] aside, with their lowest point being a 9th-12th finish at The International 2017, upset by Team Empire.

** '''[=VGJ.Storm=]''': Formed in September 2017, they are the North American sister team of [=VGJ.Thunder=]. Despite the roster changes after the lock, most notably and recently the addition of Ex-OG player [=Resolut1on=], and thus must qualify to TI through the Open Qualifiers, the team is slowly rising to possibly be the contender for North America, winning the GESC Thailand Minor after upsetting Fnatic in the semis and beating Keen Gaming in consecutive sweeps. However, they must go through [=OpTic=] and EG to do so. However, they have two more showings to prove themselves before the open qualifiers, in the MDL Changsha Major and the China [=Dota2=] Supermajor.

** '''LGD Gaming''': Chinese powerhouse that somehow never manages to make it to the top at the grandest stage of them all. The 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, however, may change that, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, defeating [=Virtus.pro=] to get to the Grand Finals. Since partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, they are now branded as [=PSG.LGD=]. At EPICENTER XL, they finally give China their first Major victory, defeating European juggernauts Team Liquid in the Grand Finals. With these two impressive finishes, they've now established themselves as currently the best Chinese team, and a high favorite in The International 2018. They are currently 4th in the Pro Circuit, with 4071 points.

** '''Vici Gaming''': In the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, it seems the team has finally returned to top form, contesting with Newbee, [=VGJ.Thunder=], and [=PSG.LGD=]. Currently, they are 7th in the Pro Circuit with 2160 points.

** '''Newbee''': An all-star team that recruited by son of a Chinese conglomerate, can be called "Manchester City of e-sports". Boasted some of the best Chinese players; three of them brought team [=TongFu=] to fourth position in The International 2013. They won the International 2014, then went into a huge slump and lost players, until now they are a shade of their old self - but still enough to put up a good fight. They became just the second team to appear more than once in a TI grand final, but unfortunately, become the first team to be '''swept''' in a TI grand final, courtesy of longtime rival Team Liquid. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they are currently at 6th place with 2220 points, with Vici Gaming not far behind.

** '''TNC Pro Team''': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [='DeMoN'=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[DarkHorseVictory won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. They are currently placed outside the top 8 in the Pro Circuit rankings, at 14th with 495 points.

** '''Fnatic''': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They are ranked #11 in the DPC, with 1040 points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=], and as of now, the prize pool and Battle Pass (which replaced the Compendium starting at [=TI5=]) has not been announced yet. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. So far, only Virtus.Pro and Team Liquid have secured themselves an automatic invite, passing the minimum number of points needed to automatically qualify, so even if they don't win any points from that point on, it would not matter.

** 1st: '''[=Virtus.pro=]''' - 8097 points
** 2nd: '''Team Liquid''' - 6084 points
** 3rd: '''Team Secret''' - 4800 points

Here are the current top 8 teams of the Dota Pro Circuit:

** 3rd: '''Team Secret''' - 4710 points

** '''Team Secret''': Europe's All-Star team, comprising the best players from some of the best teams around. Were burdened by heavy expectations when they formed and went through a few roster changes of their own. Even then, they continued to fall short of the finish multiple times- however, recent signs have shown them becoming a dominant force equaled only by very few others. Prior to The International 2016, they are the only team not named OG to have won a Valve Major, which was held in Shanghai. Currently, they are 3rd in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 4710 points.

** '''LGD Gaming''': Chinese powerhouse that somehow never manages to make it to the top at the grandest stage of them all. The 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, however, may change that, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, defeating [=Virtus.pro=] to get to the Grand Finals. Since partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, they are now branded as [=PSG.LGD=]. At EPICENTER XL, they finally give China their first Major victory, defeating European juggernauts Team Liquid in the Grand Finals. They are currently 4th in the Pro Circuit, with 4071 points.

** '''Fnatic''': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They are ranked #11 in the DPC, with 950 points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=], and as of now, the prize pool and Battle Pass (which replaced the Compendium starting at [=TI5=]) has not been announced yet. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. So far, only Virtus.Pro have secured themselves an automatic invite ''with about five months left to spare for the remaining Majors (and one Minor) to be held.'' As of EPICENTER XL, Team Liquid have secured the second Direct Invite.
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** '''[=Virtus.pro=]''': Currently the best team in the world, they have won three majors [[note]] with two won back-to-back, and would've had a chance to go for a hat trick had it not been for LGD, who eliminated them in 3rd at DAC 2018 [[/note]] in the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, and as a result, have already secured themselves an invite to The International 2018. They are known for their very deep hero pool, and at one time, in a single tournament, they almost never picked the same hero twice in their matches. They are first in the DPC rankings, with 7872 points.

*** '''Support/Captain: Solo''': Yes, he's ''that'' Solo, the player who bet $322 against his own team and threw his match. Since then, he's worked hard to regain his reputation, and while '322' will [[NeverLiveItDown not be forgotten]], he's gotten back into the good graces of fans around the community, and he's now VP's captain and drafter.

** '''Team Liquid''': Formerly a part of the NA region for a long time, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they are now a part of EU Dota 2. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and Team Secret, and possibly, Mineski. With a guaranteed top 3 finish at EPICENTER XL, defeating OG to do so, they have secured enough points for a Direct Invite to The International 2018. Currently, they are 2nd in the Pro Circuit, with 5409 points.

*** '''Midlane: [=s4=]''': Ex-Alliance and Secret, he went to the team after a disappointing performance at [=TI6=], rejoining his former teammates from Secret. He has had moderate success since then, but time will tell if he'll win the Aegis a second time.
*** '''Offlane: [=7ckngmad=]''': The team's coach when they had the full 5-man roster, he had to play as part of the team's lineup after Reso's departure. They might be able to find a suitable replacement for Reso, but for now, the team's coach will have to play with the team.

** '''[=OpTic=] Gaming''': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai.

** '''LGD Gaming''': Chinese powerhouse that somehow never manages to make it to the top at the grandest stage of them all. The 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, however, may change that, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, defeating [=Virtus.pro=] to get to the Grand Finals. Since partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, they are now branded as [=PSG.LGD=]. They are currently 8th in the Pro Circuit, with 1821 points.

** '''Vici Gaming''': In the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, it seems the team has finally returned to top form, contesting with Newbee, [=VGJ.Thunder=], and [=PSG.LGD=]. Currently, they are 6th in the Pro Circuit with 2160 points.

** '''Newbee''': An all-star team that recruited by son of a Chinese conglomerate, can be called "Manchester City of e-sports". Boasted some of the best Chinese players; three of them brought team [=TongFu=] to fourth position in The International 2013. They won the International 2014, then went into a huge slump and lost players, until now they are a shade of their old self - but still enough to put up a good fight. They became just the second team to appear more than once in a TI grand final, but unfortunately, become the first team to be '''swept''' in a TI grand final, courtesy of longtime rival Team Liquid. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they are currently at 5th place wtih 2220 points, with Vici Gaming not far behind.

** '''[=VGJ.Thunder=]''': Formed in September 2016 (then called Team VGJ), it was created after an agreement among ''China Digital Culture (Group) Limited'', Chinese professional e-sports organization ''Vici Gaming'', and professional basketball player Jeremy Lin, who is endorsing the team, hence the VGJ name (with the 'J' named after the first letter in Jeremy's name). In the following year, Team VGJ was rebranded into [=VGJ.Thunder=]. They've had moderate success since then, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish in The Bucharest Major. In the DPC, they are at 7th place with 1935 points. Despite it's recent founding, it is a team not to be underestimated.

** '''Mineski''': Years since the first International, the formerly all-Filipino team has gone the full SEA region, boasting some of the best players the region has to offer, and have become a powerhouse on the road to The International 2018. Recently, they were the victors of The Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018, defeating LGD Gaming in a full 5 game series. Could [=TI8=] be the iteration where an SEA team finally wins it? Time will tell. Currently, they are ranked #4 in the Pro Circuit, with 3150 points.

** '''TNC Pro Team''': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [='DeMoN'=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[DarkHorseVictory won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. They are currently placed outside the top 8 in the Pro Circuit rankings, at 13th with 495 points.

** '''Fnatic''': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player (Ohaiyo) during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They are ranked #11 in the DPC, with 950 points.

For The International 2018, unlike the 2012-2017 iterations, where it was held in Seattle, Washington [[note]] 2011 was held in Cologne, Germany[[/note]], it will be held in Vancouver, Canada due to renovations at [=KeyArena=], and as of now, the prize pool and Battle Pass (which replaced the Compendium starting at [=TI5=]) has not been announced yet. Also, with the Dota Pro Circuit, the direct invites to The International have become more clear. So far, only Virtus.Pro have secured themselves an automatic invite ''with about five months left to spare for the remaining Majors (and one Minor) to be held.''

!!!!Notable teams in their region

** '''The Alliance''': the once-legendary star of the ''Dota 2'' scene that dominated the metagame, and won The International 2013 a mere seven months after its formation, formerly "No Tidehunter" (actually they picked him once). Their rivalry with Na'Vi is legendary. Based in Sweden, The Alliance is basically a Swedish all-stars team, although recently they have allowed a Frenchman in. Their playstyle is centered at non-common hero picks and split push... the term "Rat Doto", a playstyle based on split push and evading teamfight, is born after their winning of The International 2013. Their playstyle and usage of jungle is so potent that Icefrog nerfed some of the basic aspects in Dota (jungle tweaks, buyback, Roshan respawn time, etc). However, recently, in the 2014-15 season, Alliance has been on a slump, with players leaving and a roster shuffles happening near-incessantly. Now, the roster has finally settled - but they have to work their way up again...
*** '''Mid: s4''' The star of Alliance as their Mid and Captain, and one of the main reasons they won TI3. The Captain of the team, he is known worldwide as one of the best mids in the scene. Has a diverse hero pool and uses his playmaking ability to create space for the team. Called the Son of Magnus based on his amazing performance on Magnus and his name, he is known for his amazing performance on Puck, and Batrider during his heyday. Also known for his absurd luck on getting Haste Rune, now dubbed as S4 Rune.
*** '''Carry: Loda''': ''Dota'' legendary player that created many playstyles and helped many heroes enter the competitive scene with a wide hero pool thanks to his experience in the scene. Sometimes, he was the drafter of the team. His signature hero is very rarely seen on the competitive scene: Phantom Assassin. Dubbed "L-god" by the Chinese community.
*** '''Offlane: [=AdmiralBulldog=]''': Formerly a pubstar with his signature hero Lone Druid (that he played more than 1000 times), Bulldog entered the competitive scene as stand-in for many teams before The Alliance recruited him. Used to be regarded as one of the best offlaners in the world and still is one of the most prominent Nature's Prophet players in the scene. Routinely carries the team to victory with his signature "Rat Doto" playstyle. Often criticized for his limited hero pool, which has led to a few losses and draft inflexibility.
*** '''Support: Akke''': Loda's long time friend. He is one of the best micro player in the world with his signature heroes Chen or Enchantrees. Like Loda, his experience in the scene gave him a huge hero pool to work with. Also a very handsome player that has many fangirls.
*** '''Support: EGM'''

** '''Natus Vincere''': Abbreviated "Na'Vi", they are an Ukrainian team that were in The International grand finals three times in a row and the winner of the first International in Germany. To sum their playstyle in a sentence: they will do things that make you wonder, enough said (or: they fight you under your tower, they kill you under your tower, they destroy your tower), a hyper-aggressive team. They used to be the most consistent and best team for a long period; however, like Alliance, they are in a slump of late and have similarly suffered frequent roster shuffles. The new roster has again just been finalised, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
*** '''Support: Artstyle''': The captain and drafter of Na'Vi, their old teammate from their glory days who came back from retirement in an attempt to drag them out of their slump. Known as a master drafter and the 'China-Slayer', it remains to be seen if he can carry on where he left off.
*** '''Mid: Dendi''': Regarded as one of the best mid players in the world... and he has the skill and guts to prove it. A very aggressive player in-game and very friendly person offline, he has many, many fans. His signature hero is Pudge, which always made spectators jump from their chairs if picked. His playstyle is one of aggression and teamfight control, with high-mobility heroes such as Puck and Templar Assassin. One of the three subjects of the Valve-produced documentary, ''Film/FreeToPlay''.
*** '''Carry: XBOCT''': One of the craziest carry player in the world, be it his farming skill, positioning or overall aggressiveness... and his attitude offline. His signature hero is Lifestealer, Weaver, and Faceless Void. His YOLO playstyle is either epic or epic fail... coined the term "XBOCT Throws" because of it. XBOCT means "tail" in Russian (you read it as "hvost").
*** '''Offlane: funn1k''': Ukrainian rising star that joined in 2013 from Team Empire. He is popular with his clutch plays with his signature heroes such as Dark Seer, Windranger, and Mirana. Also played very good carry with his signature Clinkz.
*** '''Support: Sonneiko''': A skilled young pubstar who joined the Na'Vi team when Vanskor, their earlier support, had health issues. A promising talent, and considered one of the best possition 4 player in the world with his clutch plays on his signature Winter Wyvern and Earthshaker.

** '''Team Secret''': Europe's All-Star team, comprising the best players from some of the best teams around. Were burdened by heavy expectations when they formed and went through a few roster changes of their own. Even then, they continued to fall short of the finish multiple times- however, recent signs have shown them becoming a dominant force equaled only by very few others. Prior to The International 2016, they are the only team not named OG to have won a Valve Major, which was held in Shanghai. Currently, they are 3rd in the Dota Pro Circuit, with 4710 points.
*** '''Support/Captain: Puppey''': Legendary support player, captain and drafter. Ex-Na'Vi, and led the team to greatness for three years. Known for his spectacular jungle play and genius drafting. One of the most popular players around. He has also participated in all 7 iterations of The International, winning the very first one with Natus Vincere.
*** '''Carry: Ace'''
*** '''Mid: [=MidOne=]''': Ex-Fnatic. It's in his name. He's considered one of the best midlaners in the world.
*** '''Offlane: Fata''': Ex-Liquid, after leaving the team to take a break from competitive Dota, he soon returned to play, this time joining Secret as an Offlaner.
*** '''Support: [=YapzOr=]'''

** '''[=Virtus.pro=]''': Currently the best team in the world, they have won three majors [[note]] with two won back-to-back, and would've had a chance to go for a hat trick had it not been for LGD, who eliminated them in 3rd at DAC 2018 [[/note]] in the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, and as a result, have already secured themselves an invite to The International 2018. They are known for their very deep hero pool, and at one time, in a single tournament, they almost never picked the same hero twice in their matches. They are first in the DPC rankings, with 7872 points. No other team has gotten past 5000 points...yet.

** ''OG'': The team was formed after The International 2015 and before the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they went by the name of (monkey) Business before being re-branded as OG before Frankfurt. Known for four things: [[DarkHorseVictory winning the Frankfurt Major through the entire lower bracket,]] [[ShockingElimination being swept by the underdogs TNC Pro Team at The International 2016]], being 4-time Valve Major winners [[note]] Frankfurt, Manila, Boston, and Kiev [[/note]], and having a roster that has usually stayed together for the most part, which was actually the whole point of OG, as stated by team founders and players [=n0tail=] and Fly [[note]] as of the 2017-18 DPC, they've only had about less than five roster changes [[/note]]. But with [=Resolut1on's=] departure from the team ''during'' the Pro Circuit [[note]] rosters were locked for contention sometime just before or during February 2018, and if a player is removed (or has departed) from the team after that, they are no longer able to secure a direct invite to The International, even if they were one of the top 8 teams in the Pro Circuit [[/note]], they are not eligible for a direct invite, and must go through the Open Qualifiers to make it there...
*** '''Support/Captain: Fly''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and Complexity, he formed the team with his best friend [=n0tail=].
*** '''Carry: [=n0tail=]''': Ex-Fnatic, Secret, and [=Cloud9=], he now returns to the carry role, and is still known for his Meepo and Io. During one game, when one of their teammates got disconnected from the match and could not be able to reconnect, he decided to play his teammate's hero, which was Io. Fortunately, he was playing as Tiny, and the two heroes have great synergy, and with his reputation as one of the best Io players in the world, he had no problems playing two heroes. The team won that game despite essentially going [=4v5=].
*** '''Midlane: [=s4=]''': Ex-Alliance and Secret, he went to the team after a disappointing performance at [=TI6=], rejoining his former teammates from Secret. He has had moderate success since then, but time will tell if he'll win the Aegis a second time.
*** '''Offlane: [=7ckngmad=]''': The team's coach when they had the full 5-man roster, he had to play as part of the team's lineup after Reso's departure. They might be able to find a suitable replacement for Reso, but for now, the team's coach will have to play with the team.
*** '''Support: [=JerAx=]''': Ex-Team Liquid, he had departed from that team to take a break from professional Dota, but soon enough returned to action, this time as part of OG, proving himself as a very reliable support.

** ''Team Liquid'': Formerly a part of the NA region for a long time, after picking up the [=5Jungz=] roster [[note]] [=FATA-=], MATUMBAMAN, [=MinD_ContRoL=], [=JerAx=], [=KuroKy=] [[/note]], they are now a part of EU Dota 2. After a disappointing Top 8 finish at The International 2016, [=FATA-=] and [=JerAx=] left the team, but this left the door wide open for [=Miracle-=] and GH to take their place, and the team started winning. A lot. With numerous first place finishes in the months leading up to the 2017 International, the team was considered as one of the best teams in the world, and were the heavy favorites to win it all. And win they did, despite being sent down to the Lower Bracket early by Invictus Gaming. They also became the first team to sweep a TI Grand Final, 3-0 against Newbee. Now, they are once again considered favorites in the Dota Pro Circuit on the road to The International 2018, but other teams have begun to catch up and match to their power, the two foremost being [=Virtus.pro=] (who may have already surpassed them, if DPC points are to be considered) and Team Secret, and possibly, Mineski. Currently, they are 2nd in the Pro Circuit, with 4734 points.

** ''Evil Geniuses'': The premiere North American e-sports organization, boasting highly-successful players across each competitive game. EG's Dota teams also bear some Dota legendary players. The current squad was formed from the team S A D B O Y S, which is one of the most dominant team during 2014 despite Fear's absent from the team. Following Fear's return, and a roster changes, they consistently shows dominant performance in every tournament with a popular rivalry with Team Secret. Won DAC and The International 2015. Also infamous for being a slow starter, they will perform poorly in Day 1 of the tournament only to come back big time in the final days of the tournament which gives them a consistent showing on the Grand Finals. Since then, the team hasn't had much success after [=TI5=], 3rd place finish at [=TI6=] aside, with their lowest point being a 9th-12th finish at The International 2017, upset by Team Empire.

** ''[=Cloud9=]'': One of the most popular team in community based on their plays and player's personality. Formerly Speed Gaming.int, Rattlesnake.int, and Kaipi. A team known famously for throwing away some games that looked un-loseable, extremely inconsistent performance, creative drafts, and for placing second ten times at ten different tournaments in a single year. Unfortunately, after recent failures and inconsistency, the organization has decided to disband their Dota 2 roster in mid-2017.

** ''[=OpTic=] Gaming'': Formed after The International 2017, under the same [=OpTic=] Gaming organization that had huge success in the Call of Duty pro scene, the team is led by former EG members ppd and zai.

** ''LGD Gaming'': Chinese powerhouse that somehow never manages to make it to the top at the grandest stage of them all. The 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, however, may change that, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish at DAC 2018, defeating [=Virtus.pro=] to get to the Grand Finals. Since partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, they are now branded as [=PSG.LGD=]. They are currently 8th in the Pro Circuit, with 1821 points.

** ''Invictus Gaming'': Chinese multi-platform organization that won The International 2012.
*** '''Mid: Ferrari_430''': Dubbed as "The Pianist", Mushi's rival as best Eastern mid player and iG's mid for five whole years. His Templar Assassin is legendary. In fact, give him any hero with a high skill requirement, and he will blow you out of the water.
*** '''Carry: Burning''' The legendary B-God. Carries all over the world are compared to him as a standard to see how good they are. 'Retired' after TI4, but came back for One Last Try with the new iG. A true Dota legend, his repertoire of heroes is insanely vast - in his long and illustrious career, he has played almost every carry hero in the game at the highest level. The one empty space in his trophy cabinet is the International. He is well known for his magical performance on Anti Mage, his "BurNing Anti Mage" during The International 3 was the only one able to take a game off Alliance outside of the Grand Final.
*** '''Support: Faith''' Captain and drafter.
*** '''Offlane: Luo''' Used to play carry, rather unsuccessfully, until Burning joined. Now much better at the offlane.
*** '''Support: Chuan''': One of the most popular players from the East, based on his attitude offline and his interaction with Western players. Back from iG after a near one year hiatus.


** ''Vici Gaming'': In the 2017-18 Dota Pro Circuit, it seems the team has finally returned to top form, contesting with Newbee, [=VGJ.Thunder=], and [=PSG.LGD=]. Currently, they are 6th in the Pro Circuit with 2160 points.

** ''Newbee'': an all-star team that recruited by son of a Chinese conglomerate, can be called "Manchester City of e-sports". Boasted some of the best Chinese players; three of them brought team [=TongFu=] to fourth position in The International 2013. They won the International 2014, then went into a huge slump and lost players, until now they are a shade of their old self - but still enough to put up a good fight. They became just the second team to appear more than once in a TI grand final, but unfortunately, become the first team to be '''swept''' in a TI grand final, courtesy of longtime rival Team Liquid. In the Dota Pro Circuit, they are currently at 5th place wtih 2220 points, with Vici Gaming not far behind.

*** '''Support/Captain: Faith'''

** ''[=VGJ.Thunder=]'': Formed in September 2016 (then called Team VGJ), it was created after an agreement among ''China Digital Culture (Group) Limited'', Chinese professional e-sports organization ''Vici Gaming'', and professional basketball player Jeremy Lin, who is endorsing the team, hence the VGJ name (with the 'J' named after the first letter in Jeremy's name). In the following year, Team VGJ was rebranded into [=VGJ.Thunder=]. They've had moderate success since then, with their highest point being a 2nd place finish in The Bucharest Major. In the DPC, they are at 7th place with 1935 points. Despite it's recent founding, it is a team not to be underestimated.

* South East Asia: Currently, the region has been dominated by three teams, and no other team could really match up to the trio's dominance. Often, the question of which team was the best in the region was answered by Mineski, which is closely followed by the all-Filipino TNC Pro Team and now SEA mainstay Fnatic.

** ''Mineski'': Years since the first International, the formerly all-Filipino team has gone the full SEA region, boasting some of the best players the region has to offer, and have become a powerhouse on the road to The International 2018. Recently, they were the victors of The Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018, defeating LGD Gaming in a full 5 game series. Could [=TI8=] be the iteration where an SEA team finally wins it? Time will tell. Currently, they are ranked #4 in the Pro Circuit, with 3150 points.
*** '''Midlane: Mushi''': One of the best midlaners in the world, Mushi was a part of the famous Orange.Neolution roster that garnered 3rd place at The International 2013. He was also part of the Fnatic roster that placed 4th at The International 2016.

** ''TNC Pro Team'': The team was relatively unknown at the time, failing to win the qualifiers for the three Majors before The International 2016. Once they picked up veteran Jimmy [='DeMoN'=] Ho to guide them, however, they immediately became a dark horse candidate, winning first place in the SEA qualifiers for that year's International. And then their popularity exploded when they '''[[DarkHorseVictory won against heavy favorites OG in the Lower Bracket,]]''' sending them packing at 9th-12th. Since then, they've steadily held their own in their region, but the now all-Filipino roster has huge potential, having taken a respectable 4th place finish at the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018. They are currently placed outside the top 8 in the Pro Circuit rankings, at 13th with 495 points.

** ''Fnatic'': Since the 2016 iteration of the International, where they placed 4th, which was led by Mushi (now on Mineski), the team has underwent numerous roster changes and slumps, culminating in their disappointing performance at The International 2017, where they bowed out in ''last'' place. Since then, they've been considered as a team that has been very consistent in their own region, but haven't been getting much success lately. [[NeverLiveItDown Also known for kicking out a player (Ohaiyo) during a pizza party after their qualifier victory for ESL One Katowice 2018.]] Other players have somewhat criticized the team for being considered as an SEA team, since currently, 3 of the 5 players are not from the region, and coincidentally, all three are once teammates from Secret. They are ranked #11 in the DPC, with 950 points.