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General12 years agoGosu "GosuGamers" Gamers

The International 2012 - West


Which region are you rooting for to take the crown this September? Let us know here!

16 teams, 3 days, 1 winner.

The International 2012 is Dota 2's crowning glory, and only the creme de la creme of the game's finest will meet head-on in a kaleidoscopic flash of pure Dota 2 action. Team West will feature four European teams, two American teams and one Australian team.


GosuGamers takes you through a little sneak peak of the invited teams - with two more awaiting us in the qualifiers, due to be played over five days. Note: these ratings are based on their expected performance at The International, as opposed to their current performance.



Europe Europe Europe

Team Ukraine
Ukraine Na`Vi

Natus Vincere

Gosu Ranking: #1
TI'11 Placing: Champions
Statistics: 79-16 (83%)


Estonia Clement "Puppey" Ivanov
Ukraine Danil "Dendi" Ishutin
Ukraine Alexander "XBOCT" Dashkevich
Russia Dmitriy "LoH" Kupriyanov
Russia Sergey "ARS-ART" Revin
Achievements
Winnings - $1,035,400

1st - The International @ Gamescom, Cologne (2011)
1st - Electronic Sports World Cup, Paris (2011)
2nd - Star Championship, Kiev (2011)
1st - The Defense (2012)
1st - The Premier League (2012)
1st - Star Ladder: Star Series #1, Kiev (2012)
All Time*
Ukraine Natus Vincere4-2Ukraine Darer
Ukraine Natus Vincere8-1Russia Moscow Five
Ukraine Natus Vincere2-1Sweden Counter Logic Gaming
Ukraine Natus Vincere2-0United States Complexity Gaming
Ukraine Natus Vincere2-1United States Evil Geniuses
Ukraine Natus Vincere4-2Australia Absolute Legends
Ukraine Natus Vincere0-0China DK eSports
Ukraine Natus Vincere2-0China EHOME
Ukraine Natus Vincere1-0China Invictus Gaming
Ukraine Natus Vincere0-0China LGD
Ukraine Natus Vincere2-0Singapore Zenith
Ukraine Natus Vincere1-0Malaysia Orange
Ukraine Natus Vincere0-0Malaysia MUFC
We say...

Na`Vi have certainly come a long way since their truimph at last year's The International, and arguably remain at the top of European Dota 2. Perhaps a reason behind their consistency is their team stability, having only seen one roster change shortly after 2011's International, whilst teams around them are continuously shuffling and reforming.

Their current form is far from what they are capable of (due to a rumoured addiction with Blizzard's Diablo 3), but with still two months to go before The International, the team undoubtedly have bootcamps or training routines lined up to recapture the form which saw them lose just 2 games out of 30.

The yellow of Na`Vi is now almost synonymous with excellence and victory, and with just one blip in their illustrious Dota 2 careers (D2SC) so far, it would take a brave warrior to bet against them this September.


Rating: 9/10
Last Change: ARS-ART joins Na`Vi
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.


Team Ukraine
Ukraine Darer

Darer

Gosu Ranking: #10
TI'11 Placing: 5th/6th
Statistics: 56-35 (62%)


Ukraine Ivan "ArtStyle" Antonov
Russia Sergey "God" Bragin
Ukraine Artur "Go[blin]" Kostenko
Ukraine Andrew "MAg~" Chipenko
Ukraine Gleb "Funn1k" Lipatnikov
Achievements
Winnings - $40,500

5th/6th - The International @ Gamescom, Cologne (2011)
3rd - Star Championship, Kiev (2011)
4th - Star Ladder: Star Series #1, Kiev (2012)
All Time*
Ukraine Darer2-4Ukraine Natus Vincere
Ukraine Darer3-2Russia Moscow Five
Ukraine Darer2-4Sweden Counter Logic Gaming
Ukraine Darer2-3United States Complexity Gaming
Ukraine Darer1-1United States Evil Geniuses
Ukraine Darer1-2Australia Absolute Legends
Ukraine Darer0-0China DK eSports
Ukraine Darer0-2China EHOME
Ukraine Darer0-0China Invictus Gaming
Ukraine Darer0-0China LGD
Ukraine Darer0-0Singapore Zenith
Ukraine Darer0-0Malaysia Orange
Ukraine Darer1-0Malaysia MUFC
We say...

Much was expected from this team shortly after its official formation. There was much hype over the return of DotA mastermind Ivan "Artstyle" Antonov, and many, including famous Russian shoutcaster V1lat coining them as "the team to look out for". However, roster instability and internal disputes robbed them of three of their five players who broke away to form Virtus Pro (who are playing in West Qualifier).

It was then a matter of finding the right replacements, and after a short trial period with Romanian trio including CWM, the team eventually settled with Ukrainian countrymen from DTS.

They will go to Seattle as underdogs no doubt, but what better platform is there to prove their doubters wrong. Under the leadership of Artstyle, who has already done it before, God, a player with tremendous flair, and former DTS trio, Mag, Funnik and Goblin, Darer unquestionably have the ability to perform at the highest level and show the world that Na`Vi are not the only powerhouse team from Ukraine.


Rating: 7/10
Last Change: Darer take in former DTS trio as CWM, Freezer, Mitch drop out
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.


Team Russia
Russia M5

Moscow Five

Gosu Ranking: #16
TI'11 Placing: N/A
Statistics: 54-41 (57%)


Russia Airat "Silent" Gaziev
Russia Vladimir "PlzGoGame" Anosov
Russia Ivan "vigoss" Shinkarev
Russia Igor "M.Admiration" Kalnysh
Russia Vadim "bloodangel" Trushkin
Achievements
Winnings - $14,900

1st - Star Championship, Kiev (2011)
1st - Moscow5 Dota2 Open (2012)
1st - 4PL Play4Dota2 #1 (2012)
2nd - Star Ladder: Star Series #1, Kiev (2012)
3rd - GosuLeague: Season 1 (2012)
All Time*
Russia Moscow Five1-8Ukraine Natus Vincere
Russia Moscow Five2-3Ukraine Darer
Russia Moscow Five2-5Sweden Counter Logic Gaming
Russia Moscow Five1-0United States Complexity Gaming
Russia Moscow Five1-4United States Evil Geniuses
Russia Moscow Five1-1Australia Absolute Legends
Russia Moscow Five0-0China DK eSports
Russia Moscow Five0-0China EHOME
Russia Moscow Five0-0China Invictus Gaming
Russia Moscow Five0-0China LGD
Russia Moscow Five0-0Singapore Zenith
Russia Moscow Five0-0Malaysia Orange
Russia Moscow Five0-0Malaysia MUFC
We say...

A team which started out as yet another experiment by pgg, they have certainly shown they are no pushovers. Their moniker of "PGG + 4" no longer holds true as we have seen other players certainly step up and earn the respect of many. To date, they stand as the only team to have beaten Na`Vi in the finals of a major tournament (although the now defunct Wolves certainly gave Na`Vi a scare in the Defense).

A mix of experienced and new players, they have in their ranks old-school DotA players in Vigoss and M.Admiration, the latter having only just re-entered the competitive scene of Dota 2. Silent and Bloodangel have also grown to become two of the top CIS players since being dragged into the limelight. In pgg, the team have a captain who can only be coined as one of the best LAN players in DotA and Dota 2 history.

If all else fails, there's always vodka to fall back on and no matter the circumstance, we can surely expect a strong showing from the Russians.


Rating: 8/10
Last Change: Moscow Five replaces Inmate with Admiration
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.


Team Sweden
Sweden CLG

Counter Logic Gaming

Gosu Ranking: #3
TI'11 Placing: N/A
Statistics: 75-32 (70%)


Sweden Per Anders "Pajkatt" Olsson Lille
Sweden Joakim "Akke" Akterhall
Sweden Jesper "Mirakel" Nyhlén
Denmark Rasmus "MiSeRy-" Felipsen
Croatia Dominik "Lacoste" Stipic
Achievements
Winnings - $4,600

4th - D2E Challenge (2012) - 200€
3rd - DotaReplays Brawl (2012) - $700
1st - Fnatic RaidCall Cup (2012) - $500
1st - joinDota Masters V (2012) - 500€
3rd - Star Ladder: Star Series #1, Kiev (2012) - $2,500
All Time*
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming1-2Ukraine Natus Vincere
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming4-2Ukraine Darer
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming5-2Russia Moscow Five
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming1-2United States Complexity Gaming
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming3-1United States Evil Geniuses
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming2-2Australia Absolute Legends
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0China DK eSports
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0China EHOME
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0China Invictus Gaming
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0China LGD
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0Singapore Zenith
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0Malaysia Orange
Sweden Counter Logic Gaming0-0Malaysia MUFC
We say...

The team was dealt a heavy blow when Loda and Smulgullig announced their departure from the team. After months of dominating teams at the top since their entry into the competitive scene as the new Swedish outfit eXperience and their subsequent pickup by Counter Logic Gaming, it suddenly seemed questionable whether the team would continue playing under their sponsor with the loss of renowned captain Loda.

Just as news broke out of the latter joining Singaporean powerhouse Zenith, so did the Swedish team announce their pickup of MiSeRy- and Lacoste, two players who have been followed the European scene for years - mainly tagging behind PlaymatE, Maelk and co - but are nevertheless strong players in their own right.

Pajkatt has been performing phenomenally regardless of the players around him, and CLG's strongest bet is to utilize what the talented carry player can bring to the table to tear apart the rest of the teams at this year's event.


Rating: 7/10
Last Change: CLG reforms as Loda, Smulgullig depart
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.



United States United States United States

Team USA
United States coL

Complexity Gaming

Gosu Ranking: #7
TI'11 Placing: N/A
Statistics: 61-18 (77%)


United States Brian "FLUFFNSTUFF" Lee
United States Tony "HANNAH_MONTANA" Talavera
United States Michael "ixmike88" Ghannam
Canada Jio "Jeyo" Madayag
Canada Tyler "TC" Cook
Achievements
Winnings - $5,000

1st - Infused Cup (2012)
2nd - The Premier League (2012)
2nd - Dota2Replays Brawl (2012)
1st - Fnatic RaidCall Cup #2 (2012)
All Time*
United States Complexity Gaming0-2Ukraine Natus Vincere
United States Complexity Gaming3-2Ukraine Darer
United States Complexity Gaming0-1Russia Moscow Five
United States Complexity Gaming2-1Sweden Counter Logic Gaming
United States Complexity Gaming2-2United States Evil Geniuses
United States Complexity Gaming2-1Australia Absolute Legends
United States Complexity Gaming0-0China DK eSports
United States Complexity Gaming0-0China EHOME
United States Complexity Gaming0-0China Invictus Gaming
United States Complexity Gaming0-0China LGD
United States Complexity Gaming0-0Singapore Zenith
United States Complexity Gaming0-0Malaysia Orange
United States Complexity Gaming0-0Malaysia MUFC
We say...

Valve prioritized roster stability with this year's invitees and perhaps the call on their part was justified, seeing as how the teams which topped both DotA and Dota 2 (DK and Na`Vi respectively) were both teams which played with a stable roster for at least six months, and not surprisingly, the first two invitees on the list.

The point to make here is that Complexity, known also by their early incarnation as Fire, have not made a single roster change since their famous debut in the scene defeating Absolute Legends, who were then thrashing teams like Na`Vi back at their peak. Complexity can, and will, surprise us.

As one of the two home teams at this year's event in Seattle, audiences will definitely be cheering for Fluff and his team to make it big or go home, but the team's lack of actual LAN experience may just play against their favor when they try to wrestle the championship out of the battle-hardened CIS teams as well as the Chinese, where LAN experience is virtually a daily routine.


Rating: 6/10
Last Change: Complexity Gaming sponsors Team Fire
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.


Team USA
United States EG

Evil Geniuses

Gosu Ranking: #4
TI'11 Placing: N/A
Statistics: 58-23 (72%)


Denmark Jacob "Maelk" Toft-Anderssen
United States Clinton "Fear" Loomis
United States Jimmy "DeMoN" Ho
United States Sam "Bulba" Baird
United States Saahil "Universe" Arora
Achievements
Winnings - $3,100

3rd - The Defense (2012)
1st - Team Dignitas Dota 2 Invitational (2012)
1st - joinDota Masters I (2012)
All Time*
United States Evil Geniuses1-2Ukraine Natus Vincere
United States Evil Geniuses1-1Ukraine Darer
United States Evil Geniuses4-1Russia Moscow Five
United States Evil Geniuses1-3Sweden Counter Logic Gaming
United States Evil Geniuses2-2United States Complexity Gaming
United States Evil Geniuses1-1Australia Absolute Legends
United States Evil Geniuses0-0China DK eSports
United States Evil Geniuses0-0China EHOME
United States Evil Geniuses0-0China Invictus Gaming
United States Evil Geniuses0-0China LGD
United States Evil Geniuses0-0Singapore Zenith
United States Evil Geniuses0-0Malaysia Orange
United States Evil Geniuses0-0Malaysia MUFC
We say...

It's not a tournament in the United States if the pair of DeMoN and Fear are not invited to represent their country at Dota 2's grandest event of the year. Coupled with the leadership of legendary captain Maelk and the addition of Gosu players Universe and Bulba just at their team was playing their A-Game, the Americans will be bringing more than just home ground advantage this year.

Maelk, DeMoN and Fear have been in the scene forever and the idea that their paths have once again crossed for The International could spell trouble for any team who plans to take home the million dollars. With the familiarity these players have over the other teams (including top teams like Na`Vi and Moscow Five) and an abundance of LAN experience, two months is literally all they will need to start playing and winning again.


Rating: 7/10
Last Change: Evil Geniuses announce official new roster
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.



Australia Australia Australia

Team Australia
Australia AL

Absolute Legends

Gosu Ranking: #54
TI'11 Placing: N/A
Statistics: 77-37 (68%)


Australia Trong "Snoopy" Truong
Canada Scott "bLeek" Jensen
Australia Alex "blackshatan" Chang
Singapore Justin "xMusica*" Yuen
Australia Darcy "Godot" Jose
Achievements
Winnings - $4,100

1st - BenQ Dota 2 Clash #2 (2011)
2nd - Infused Cup (2012)
3rd - The Premier League (2012)
1st - ItsGoSu Montly Madness - March (2012)
3rd - Star Ladder: Pro Series #1 (2012)
3rd - JeeDota Season 2 (2012)
All Time*
Australia Absolute Legends2-4Ukraine Natus Vincere
Australia Absolute Legends2-1Ukraine Darer
Australia Absolute Legends1-1Russia Moscow Five
Australia Absolute Legends2-2Sweden Counter Logic Gaming
Australia Absolute Legends1-2United States Complexity Gaming
Australia Absolute Legends1-1United States Evil Geniuses
Australia Absolute Legends1-4China DK eSports
Australia Absolute Legends1-1China EHOME
Australia Absolute Legends0-0China Invictus Gaming
Australia Absolute Legends0-0China LGD
Australia Absolute Legends0-2Singapore Zenith
Australia Absolute Legends2-1Malaysia Orange
Australia Absolute Legends2-3Malaysia MUFC
We say...

They started strong, and then they plateaued - the story of Absolute Legends' rise to the top of competitive Dota 2 is an epic tale matched only (albeit unfortunately) by their sudden dip in form following recent weeks of play.

A 'natural loss-of-touch' cannot serve as an excuse for a team which barely managed to scrape four wins from their last twenty matches played. As a team which managed to beat Na`Vi twice (and that's the most amount of wins that any invited team has managed to gather against Na`Vi since last year's The International), Absolute Legends definitely have the potential to score big this year, but for now, it's not within grasp.

As a representative from 'down under', the Australian powerhouse have the most experience playing against the rest of the invitees as the team regularly bites the dust - the 'lag' factor, that is - to participate in both South East Asian and European tournaments. Whether their experience can turn the tables for them in two months - that is another story altogether.


Rating: 6/10
Last Change: Absolute Legends welcomes bLeek
*All-time records ignore roster changes and tracks results since the last TI'11. Last updated - June 02.

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