The glory and privilege of competing in The International compels professional players to push beyond their limitations to achieve the extraordinary. While Dota's most notorious players have a way of shaping the outcome of each match, they are nothing without the intuitive cooperation of the unit. As the intensity of competing in the most prestigious event in all of esports creeps into the foreground of each participant’s mind – unity is more important now than ever before. Each of The International 18 has fought hard to earn their place this year, and the time is nigh for claiming the Aegis of Champions!
The expedited release of updates this Dota Pro Circuit season has forged some of the most formidable contenders in The International’s history - forcing teams to adapt their strategies on the fly to accommodate the numerous shifts in the professional meta. The most successful teams this season have been those that properly calculated the trajectory of the meta and responded appropriately. Each contender brings something truly unique to the table that is sure to please fans of kinetic gameplay and diverse strategy.
Let’s delve into some staff predictions regarding some of the teams we’re most excited to watch, and the outcomes we’re expecting to see throughout the Group Stage.
Justin "SynapticGaming" Worthington's Predictions
Favored teams:
 | I know, I know... way to select the safest options right? I won't argue that my favored teams are inconspicuous selections, however they are ranked 1 and 2 on the Dota Pro Circuit Team Leaderboard for a reason! Safe bets aside, what intrigues me most about each of these teams, is the distinct level of synergy each player shares with one another. Both teams have been responsible for executing several of the most awe-inspiring combinations we've witnessed in this year's DPC. Combinations that have turned the tide of pivotal team fights in their favor, and ultimately the match. If you anticipate these juggernauts going head-to-head in the Grand Finals (like I do), then you can expect explosive performances from each team throughout the entirety of TI8. |
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Teams that will win their respective Groups:
Group A:
| Both Team Liquid and PSG.LGD have an affinity for obfuscating draft weaknesses derived from their extensive competencies with a wide pool of heroes. Both teams understand the importance of drafting for control and have mastered the art of exploiting their opponent's item and skill timers to their advantage. While PSG.LGD showed a slight advantage in this regard over Liquid during the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018, Liquid is quick to identify enemy patterns and adapt their strategy on the fly. PSG.LGD becomes incredibly dangerous when their opponent fails to evenly delay their progression - often snowballing off of an overlooked catalyst. | |
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Group B:
| Virtus.pro have proved themselves the masters of selecting strong fighting lineups and assaulting the high ground with their notorious ranged siege strategy. The breakneck speed in which Virtus.pro transitions from a regulated pace to explosive team fight coordination is both methodical and deceptive - throwing off their opponents timing while asserting their dominance. Team Secret is a team that wins in absolutes - dominating opponents who aren't aware of the clever underlying traps they weave. With one of the most prolific and inventive Team Captains (Clement "Puppey" Ivanov) in all of Dota, Secret is likely to go far in TI8 - if not all the way. | |
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Teams that will be eliminated in the Group Stages:
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Group A: |
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 | Having recently formed during the mid-season roster shuffle of the Dota Pro Circuit, Team Winstrike (formerly FlyToMoon) lacks a comparable team history to that of more veteran contenders such as Vici Gaming, Secret, and Liquid. At a time in which team chemistry is of the utmost importance, it is hard to imagine Winstrike possessing the amount of experience necessary to reach the Main Event. |
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Group B: | |
 | This one was a bit difficult for me. While paiN Gaming has demonstrated strong team play, good reads in skirmishes, and astute timing, they also tend to get out-drafted and out-maneuvered more often than not. I can't help but assume paiN Gaming is going to continue making drafting mistakes against teams that will undoubtedly punish them for doing so. |
Teams to watch out for:
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Mineski's lineup consists of some of the most adept players in the game right now. Yee fung "Mushi" Chai is easily one of the most proficient carries in Dota - a true master of awareness and play execution. Mineski's opponents will have to keep Mushi under control while remaining aware of Michael "ninjaboogie" Ross's highly-perceptive and responsive support style. If Mineski can manage to maintain their composure as the pressure builds, they should find themselves in a position to excel throughout the Main Event. It's no secret that Secret has defined the meta several times throughout the years by implementing a host of revolutionary strategies and experimentation. Secret is confident in their conviction and has a way of applying background pressure to their opponent that predominately goes unnoticed. I personally believe that Secret has one of the best shots at winning TI8 should they manage to dissect favored teams such as PSG.LGD and Virtus.pro. |  |
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Hitanshu "Anomalina" Budhwani's Predictions
Favored teams:
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It might be an obvious pick for some, but Liquid actually has a significant number of people doubting their ability to win a second TI simply due to the superstition of the TI curse. Virtus.pro may be an easy pick here for most, but it is no secret that Liquid has been able to consistently challenge VP and beat them at the grand finals of tournaments. The greatest evidence of Team Liquid's resilience and constant motivation to be the best was the China Supermajor, where they won their first major after being denied for an entire season and beat none other than VP in a best-of-five. In a tournament that had so many similarities to TI itself, the victory was a serious indicator of their prowess. Much like Liquid, PSG.LGD is probably one of the only two teams that can consistently challenge Virtus.pro and give them a tough time. They may have bloomed late into the season, but that might actually be in their favor. Doing only what is necessary, winning two Major titles, and the first for China, they honed their skills against the world's best and came out one step ahead. They also don't have as big a target on their backs as Liquid or VP, which may allow them to have an easier time in the early stages of TI. |
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Teams that will win their respective Groups:
Group A:
| Expected choices, considering my favorites to win the tournament. Group A is being called the 'death group' ever since its announcement, and it's not entirely illogical. Mineski and OG might be the biggest challengers to these two teams, possibly causing an upset to shake things up. Regardless, Liquid and LGD are almost guaranteed a top 4 spot in Group A. | | |
Group B:
| While Virtus.pro may be the obvious choice here, OpTic Gaming is clearly not. Group B has a lot of really good teams, and almost all of them could be argued in favor of reaching the top 4, at least. What convinced me to choose OpTic as my pick was their performance at the China Supermajor, where they almost made it to the top 4 to qualify for TI, but were crushed by none other than Virtus.pro. | |  |
Teams that will be eliminated in the Group Stages:
| Group A: | |
 | Invictus Gaming was completely absent from the DPC tournaments this season, and that is a major deficit that they cannot fill with just their experience in the TI China Qualifier. They may have proven their worth to compete at TI, but their chances against experienced teams in such a stacked group look bleak. |
| Group B: | |
 | Newbee is proof of what losing in the Grand Finals of TI can do to you. They have struggled to find motivation and balance throughout this season, and although they managed to accumulate enough points to qualify, they are far from the team we saw at TI7. And sadly, they only got worse as the season progressed, never once making it to a Grand Final in the last six months of the DPC. |
Teams to watch out for:
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We have possibly the most interesting and intimidating dark horses in this edition of The International. This team reminds me a lot of the Digital Chaos we saw at TI6. A bunch of rejects forming a team together and achieving almost immediate success. They have one more thing going for them: a good deal of experience against some of the best teams in the world after their stint at EPICENTER XL. The ultimate dark horse, Team Serenity reminds everyone of Wings Gaming, The TI6 champions. They are quite the polar opposites of Virtus.pro this season. Completely invisible, barely known, having never played in the DPC and only starting their professional career recently. Teams playing in The International, where the highest level of Dota is played, rely heavily on knowing their opponent's strategies and being able to counter them through experience. But how do you counter someone you know nothing about? |
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Cristy "Pandoradota2" Ramadani's Predictions
Favored team:
| Its China's year after all and this team has an immense amount of potential, talent and only got better at the end of the season. They ended the DPC season taking the championship title at EPICENTER XL and MDL Changsha Major before finishing with a commendable third place finish at the China SuperMajor. This team consistently evolves and adjusts to the meta and their opponents. Honestly, it is doubtful that another team will rival them. |
Teams that will win their respective Groups:
| Group A: | ||
| As mentioned already PSG.LGD will come out of the event as the winners, and will most likely dominate in the group stage as well. They don't pull any punches and come out of the gates swinging. Team Liquid is a dominant team when it comes to the group stages. They are usually able to find themselves at the top of the pack, making an easy transition into the playoff stage. | | |
| Group B: | ||
| Virtus.pro consistently dominants their group with an overwhelming presence and strength. It's the obvious choice, especially for a group that has a fair amount of teams that don't come to the stage with the same impact. Team Secret would be next in line. This team is calculated, experimental and has all the experience needed to roll over their competition. Historically, the team does well in the groups and has the leadership and prowess to pull off a top finish. | | |
Teams that will be eliminated in the Group Stages:
| Group A: | |
| Invictus Gaming was barely a blip on the radar in the DPC 2017-2018 season. They struggled to qualify to for any event — attending only DAC 2018 and MDL Changsha Major. Their placements in both were at the bottom of the ladder after only barely squeaking through the group stages. Unless the team went through some extensive training and mental adjustment, they won't have the fire or passion needed to ignite a heated performance. |
| Group B: | |
| Despite having had improved results after recruiting Aliwi "w33" Omar to join the team, the inexperience and gap in the caliber of play is still too great to bridge against the top teams. They are an exciting team to watch and put their hearts into their performance, making them a team worthy of cheering for but won't make the cut in the end. |
Teams to watch out for:
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Evil Geniuses, with their combined experience, raw talent and new leadership has the potential to surprise everyone. They have a lot to prove and even more naysayers to quiet and this is a team that can easily do so after fine-tuning their approach and adjusting during only a few weeks of training. Team Serenity is this year's Cinderella story and fits into the Chinese winning year theory. Their playstyle and approach is unique, bringing forward new ideas and strategies that others will not be prepared for. Being unknown and new to the scene could work in favor of this team. Where for others the lack of experience is a challenge, Team Serenity have the confidence and spark that could help them surpass their obstacles. |  |
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Who really knows?
So there you have it, the GosuGamers staff predictions are in and we look forward to hearing which teams, players and outcomes you favor for TI8. Let us know in the comments section below, and for all your TI8 coverage - keep it locked to GG.net!
The International 2018
The International 2018 is set to begin on August 15 and scheduled to run through August 25. For the first time ever, The International will be held in Vancouver, Canada with a total of 18 teams competing. Currently, the prize pool is over a staggering $24 million with just two days left until the big event.
