5 Heroes at The International That Usually Make a Difference

Here are the 5 heroes that usually make a difference at The International.

It’s finally that time of the year again. Dota 2 fans from all over the world are slowly but steadily preparing for The International 12, the biggest event of 2023. In just a few weeks from now in Seattle, 20 of the leading names in Dota 2 will compete for the Aegis. We are still not sure whether there will be a big update before that, but one thing is certain – this event will be epic.

Speaking of The International 12, a lot of people will be very interested in keeping an eye on the Dota 2 heroes. There are a few big names we expect to see at this tournament, but this article will not be about them. Instead, we want to focus on the 5 heroes at The International that usually make a difference for their team. We will emphasize names that appeared numerous times during a TI Grand Final, regardless of the meta. All of them are amazing in one way or another, so let’s dive in.

Earthshaker

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The first name when it comes down to theories at the International that usually makes a difference is Earthshaker. This offlaner/support is not the hottest pick in the current meta. Yet, we expect to see him in action a few weeks from now because the best teams in the world will rely on them.

Earthshaker always had a key role at every The International so far. However, most people will always remember the hero for his performance at The International 5 when Evil Geniuses lifted the Aegis. The so-called “million dollar” Echo Slam killed CDEC’s team and allowed the squad to win its first The International.

Besides the game-breaking ultimate, ES is really strong overall. The hero can easily fit into almost any role and combo. Therefore, we expect to see him in action at The International 12, especially for most Western European teams.

Earthshaker’s ability to land tons of stuns and block his opponents means he will be one of the go-to options. Of course, we are yet to see if this will be the case.

Enigma

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When talking about heroes at The International, what usually makes a difference in this tournament is Enigma. This probably does not surprise most of you because Enigma is the hero with the best ultimate in the game. We’ve seen it time and time again, and pretty much every big Dota 2 team relies on that hero when things get rough. 

Similar to Earthshaker, Enigma is not the hottest option right now. Sure, the hero appears occasionally, but it’s not a hero you see in every game. Enigma can be used as an offlaner, jungler, or even a position 4 support, so we can expect to see a lot of innovative picks in the next couple of weeks.

Enigma’s Black Hole is definitely one of the most dangerous abilities in the game and can decide the outcome of any team fight. Even though landing a good ultimate is not easy, we’ve seen many games where this ability won games. Therefore, we expect to see the hero at The International.

Magnus

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Another interesting name that will appear at The International 12 more than once is Magnus. He is among the heroes at The International that usually makes a difference, which is no surprise, considering the hero’s ultimate and his ability to work really well in conjunction with melee carries. 

Magnus has been one of the core heroes for a lot of TI champions. Perhaps the last name that stands out is Team Spirit because the Eastern European squad used the hero throughout the event. In fact, he was one of the main reasons why Team Spirit won The International in the first place.

Magnus’s ability to give Empower to melee heroes is the thing that makes this hero incredibly useful. This ability increases the heroes’ farming capabilities a lot and allows them to do way more damage. Of course, this is just one of the things to keep an eye on because Magnus also has one of the best AoE ultimates in the game.

A good RP can be incredibly strong and decide the course of a fight, which is the reason why Magnus will be one of the most popular heroes. 

Naga Siren

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It’s safe to say that the carries are the heroes that change the most at every The International. Depending on the meta, we can see all sorts of heroes, so we expect names like Wraith King and Morphling to be among the go-to options at The International 12. However, there is one hero at The International who usually makes a difference, and Naga Siren is among them.

Almost all top-tier Dota 2 players, such as Arteezy, are known for using this hero when needed. Currently, Naga is not the best hero in Dota 2, but she’s an option that deserves more attention. She can farm incredibly fast, push when needed, and prevent the enemies from pushing. Moreover, the hero has the ability to set up all team fights, which is incredibly strong in a professional match.

Naga has always been one of the top picks at The International, so we can’t wait to see how teams will use her at TI 12.

Ember Spirit

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Finally, we also have a mid-laner who always appears at The International; his name is Ember Spirit. There is no arguing this is one of the most impressive Dota 2 heroes in existence because he’s been a part of the meta for many years now. Although Ember’s playstyle has changed, he is one of the heroes at The International that usually makes a difference.

Nowadays, Ember gets the chance to shine every now and then, but he is not as popular as before. We do not expect to see him in action in every game, but many players will try to make the most of him and pick him when appropriate.