Liquid breaks 4-year Dota 2 drought in omen for TI 2024 run

After four long years without a tournament win, Team Liquid finally took a step onto the top step of the podium after claiming victory in Elite League Season Two in Peru. The victory couldn’t have come at a better time, as Liquid prepare for The International, which is just a few weeks away.

Although it was classified as a level two tournament and no heavyweights participated Dota Teams Gaimin Gladiators or this year’s front-runners Team Falcons, try telling that to Liquid, who took home the trophy on Sunday after a 3-2 victory over 1win in the finals. Both teams traded victories back and forth in the best-of-five, but it was lower-bracket Liquid—led by a 14-kill effort from mid laner Nisha—who ultimately emerged victorious.

Insania and Nisha were all cheers in their post-match interviews in front of a packed Centro de Convenciones after the win. TL has come oh-so-close to glory in recent years; the team closed out 2022 with a third-place finish at TI Singapore, then three straight Grand Finals, losing it all to Gaimin Gladiators. As the Gaimin era drew to a close after TI 2023, another challenger emerged in the form of Falcons. Liquid were unable to capitalize on this.

We have to go back to ESL One Germany for the team’s last victory, which took place on Natus Vincere and was held online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Before that digital triumph, Liquid’s last offline victory came five years ago at MDL Macau, against Evil Geniuses. Only two members of that winning team, Boxi and Insania, are now part of the longest-running core in Dota history – still left of that ESL One winning squad.

Liquid now sets their sights on TI 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The team secured a direct invite thanks to their consistency this year, but compared to teams like Falcons, Gaimin, and Spirit, they’ll need to step up a notch if they hope to claim the Aegis of Champions for the second time in the storied organization’s history.

Liquid have performed well at TI in the past, so if the team can maintain their form during the event, we might see the blue and white horse flag flying in mid-September.