The Dota 2 esports scene has undoubtedly entered one of its most exciting and prosperous eras. Its calendar packed with prestigious tournaments featuring massive prize pools makes the title’s scene more prominent than ever. While The International still holds a special place in the community’s heart, it's no longer the sole determinant of a team’s success. The landscape has evolved, and the significance of other tournaments has narrowed the prestige gap with TI.
Competition has never been fiercer. Last season, one team clearly emerged as the front-runner, dominating most events. However, the most significant tournaments of the season were claimed by other squads. In terms of viewership, the top five teams had very close numbers, with just a narrow margin separating them. Still, one team managed to stand out, thanks to their consistent victories across a greater number of events than their competitors.
So, which Dota 2 teams captured the hearts of fans and garnered the most attention last season? Let’s break it down and see who rose to the top of the esports scene.
#5 — Team Liquid
The fact that the winner of The International 2024 only ranked fifth among the most popular teams of the past year further confirms the growing competition of Dota 2. Team Liquid remains one of the veteran forces in the Dota 2 scene, and the management's faith in its Swedish core paid off last year. After playing together for nearly six years now, the players brought the club its second-ever “Aegis” trophy.
Though the season as a whole was rather inconsistent for the team (with several finals at Tier-1 tournaments and only two titles at Tier-2 events), they continue to be one of the top contenders, and many established stars on the scene still dream of joining them.
At the end of last season, the team parted ways with one of its key players, Neta "33" Shapira, and welcomed newcomer Jonáš "SaberLight" Volek. With the Czech in the lineup, the team performed well at ESL One Bangkok 2024, finishing second. However, in the new year, the squad has faced some challenges, with two 7th-8th place finishes at FISSURE and BLAST events. Still, the season is just picking up pace, and the team will have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves. And knowing Liquid, this could happen at any moment.
#4 — BetBoom Team
The so-called “superteams” or “galácticos,” whether in traditional sports or esports, can either fail completely or quickly establish themselves as the ones to beat. BetBoom Team has clearly aimed for this status since its foundation, but when it comes to results, it’s hard to clearly categorize them as either one or the other: they can’t be called a failure, but the number of significant titles they’ve won over the years can be counted on one hand.
In the last season, BB Team repeatedly placed 2nd and 3rd at big events, and in December, they finally claimed the long-awaited BLAST Slam I title (the first championship win in almost two years!). However, their disappointing performances at the year’s most lucrative tournaments, Riyadh Masters and TI, where the team finished 7th-8th in both, were a major source of frustration for fans with high hopes.
Despite the mixed results, the team remains one of the two main Dota 2 powerhouses in the post-Soviet space and continues to pull in huge viewership from Russian-speaking countries. The potential is enormous, and everyone knows it. If the team finds stability and starts making it to more finals, it will undoubtedly be reflected in their viewership numbers, with which they could reach the #1 spot.
#3 — Tundra Esports
By the end of last year, Tundra Esports achieved something truly remarkable: they secured 3rd place in the rankings of the most popular Dota 2 teams, despite not winning a single tournament throughout the entire season. The absence of titles, contrasted with their exceptional viewership numbers, only reinforced their status as one of the most elite teams in Dota 2.
Although the team didn’t win any titles, their season was anything but disappointing. They remained a strong contender throughout the year, consistently placing in the top three at major tournaments, including TI. Their performance at the Riyadh Masters was another highlight, as they secured a 4th-place finish at the event with the highest prize pool of the season. While trophies eluded them, their ability to remain at the forefront of nearly every top-tier competition made them one of the most formidable and closely followed teams of the year.
The team entered the new season with a revamped roster, featuring Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov, a carry who gained recognition with Gaimin Gladiators. However, the most notable change was the return of 33: one of the most skilled players in the history of Dota 2, who had previously helped the team secure the TI-2022 title.
The roster changes quickly paid off, with the team securing second-place finishes at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 and BLAST Slam I. As the new year began, they dominated the competitive scene, claiming victory in two qualifiers and capturing titles at both FISSURE and BLAST Slam II. If they continue this momentum, there's no doubt that they will be the clear favorites heading into the biggest tournaments of the year.
#2 — Team Spirit
A Dota 2 team ranking wouldn’t feel complete without the two-time The International champions. Team Spirit made their breakthrough in 2021, solidified their legendary status in 2023, and have remained a dominant force ever since. Beyond their tournament performances, they continue to command a massive audience, not just among Russian-speaking fans, but across the global Dota 2 community.
In 2024, Team Spirit frequently placed in the top four at major events, securing a title at the Tier-1 PGL Wallachia along the way. This steady performance translated into strong overall viewership. However, like their regional counterparts at BB Team, they struggled to deliver on the biggest stages. In particular, their TI run fell short of expectations, ending in the second round of the lower bracket.
For a team of their caliber, with such an established legacy and ongoing potential, last season felt like a mixed bag: successful, yet definitely leaving room for more. Even so, they secured a well-earned second-place finish in the viewership rankings. If they carry this level of consistency into the new season, both in competition and audience engagement, they could be poised for an even bigger year ahead.
#1 — Team Falcons
Team Falcons weren’t just the standout newcomers of last season, they were the most dominant team overall. And by a huge margin. Even more impressively, they did it without securing the two biggest trophies in Dota 2: Riyadh Masters and TI. The Saudi Arabian organization assembled a roster of elite talent that steamrolled the competition from start to finish. Incredibly, they racked up six Tier-1 titles and dropped out of the top four only twice: at the end of the year, when many players were already winding down for the holiday season.
Falcons accomplished what BetBoom Team hoped for: assembling a powerhouse roster of seasoned stars and rising talent (most notably Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak, the “Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year” at the Esports Awards 2024) and delivering results from day one.
Their tournament dominance was reflected in the statistics too. Falcons outpaced their nearest competitor by a staggering 8 million hours of watch time, an even more striking lead considering the gap between 2nd and 5th place was just over 6 million hours.
This season, Falcons must prove they’re more than just a one-year wonder, a task that’s only getting tougher in Dota 2’s fierce scene. Their first tournaments ended with a runner-up finish, followed by a 3rd-4th place result, showing that the battle at the top is far from settled. With Tundra Esports, a resurging Gaimin Gladiators, and other top contenders in the mix, the competition is heating up fast.
For fans, that only means one thing: this new season is shaping up to be an unmissable spectacle.
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