L1ga Team, the new Russian Dota 2 contenders, disappoint in first outing — but can they come back?

L1ga Team, the new Russian Dota 2 contenders, disappoint in first outing — but can they comeback?

The Eastern European Dota 2 landscape has recently seen a significant development with the creation of L1ga Team, a new contender formed from a collaboration of seasoned players and the Stavok League.

Boasting an impressive lineup, the team was expected to become a force to be reckoned with in the run-up to the high-stakes BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 – Eastern European Closed Qualifiers. However, they weren’t able to do so.

L1ga Team Dota 2 Roster (Image credit: L1ga Team)

In-Depth Look at L1ga Team’s Roster
This newly formed Russian ensemble, comprising a diverse mix of players from notable teams such as 9Pandas and TSM, set their sights on a coveted spot in the prestigious $1,000,000 tournament scheduled to take place in Dubai. The team entered the competitive scene amid much anticipation, but their debut didn’t quite live up to the expectations. Before advancing further about their first appearance at the BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 qualifiers, here’s the composition of the L1ga Team that became the talk of the town:

Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev
Gleb “kiyotaka” Zyryanov
Ilyas “kasane” Gainullin
Alexander “Immersion” Khmelevskoy
Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosyan

With the likes of RAMZES666 and RodjER, who achieved significant success during their time with Virtus.pro in 2016, and the emerging talent kiyotaka. The trio most recently associated with 9Pandas, competed at the International 2023 (TI12).

The addition of kasane and Immersion, with their background from TSM (and temporarily at Tundra Esports), rounded out a roster that everyone expected to make a strong impact in the 2024 season. However, their start has been extremely rocky, to say the least.

Rough Waters at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024
The team’s professional debut at the BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 closed qualifiers turned out to be a flop. They faced off against Virtus.pro, a team not only experienced but also coming off a commendable seventh-place finish at TI12. Virtus.pro, under the leadership of the seasoned player Artsiom “Fng” Barshak, easily swept L1ga Team 3-0 in the finals, showcasing the gap in team formation and drafts.

Insights from Player kiyotaka:
Gleb “kiyotaka” Zyryanov, the midlaner for L1ga Team, provided insight into the team’s struggles. He candidly expressed the team’s deficiencies in team play and their struggles with early game strategies. According to kiyotaka, these issues led to difficulties in lane control and subsequently, in mounting effective comebacks during matches.

Their opponent’s perspective:
Meanwhile, Evgeny “Noticed” Ignatenko from Virtus.pro offered a blunt assessment of L1ga Team’s gameplay, suggesting that their performance was subpar or to quote his words, “they played like bots”, especially in terms of map control and objective management.

His comments highlighted the challenges L1ga Team faced in their matchup against his more seasoned Virtus.pro squad.

The Road Ahead for L1ga Team
The formation of L1ga Team, particularly considering the past performances of 9Pandas players who had a disappointing run at TI12, indicates the blatant flaws in team synergy and constant misunderstandings among their players. At TI12, kiyotaka also added that the game’s patch did not favor their preferred heroes.

Regardless, the team must address these issues to compete effectively against existing top-tier powerhouses in the EEU region, such as Team Spirit, BetBoom Team, and perhaps even their former team, 9Pandas.