Two days – that’s all that stands between the esports community and The International. Accordingly, after much anticipation, one of the top events of the year is going live. Indeed, with so much to discuss, predictions are all over the place. Read on as we provide our very own The International 2022 predictions to straighten things out!
The International 2022 Predictions – Lower Prize, Same Competition
Indeed, the 20 international teams will be competing from the 15th October to the 30th October. Naturally, what are they competing for?
While the community may not be too impressed with the slightly lower prize pool (currently at $15,000,000), the prize is only one aspect of The International’s legacy. Specifically, it’s a celebration of the global aspect behind Dota 2, one which aims to crown a new Aegis of Champions.
This is evident in the incredible level of competition heading into the event – find the competitors listed below:
- PSG.LGD
- OG
- Team Spirit
- beastcoast
- Team Aster
- Thunder Awaken
- BOOM Esports
- TSM
- Tundra Esports
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Evil Geniuses
- Fnatic
- Soniqs
- Hokori
- Entity
- BetBoom Team
- Royal Never Give Up
- Talon Esports
- Team Secret
- Team Liquid
Now, let’s try narrow things down.
The International 2022 Predictions – Looking at the Season
Accordingly, we need to take a look at the Dota Pro Circuit rankings heading into the event.
For those unaware, the Dota Pro Circuit is the official Valve organized professional circuit for international Dota 2. Indeed, to get this far, teams have competed through a long year of events.
Let’s look at the official rankings of the teams who qualified through such means:
- #1 – PSG.LGD – 2240 Points
- #2 – OG – 1930 Points
- #3 – Team Spirit – 1810 Points
- #4 – beastcoast – 1810 Points
- #5 – Team Aster – 1610 Points
- #6 – Thunder Awaken – 1540 Points
- #7 – BOOM Esports – 1482 Points
Naturally, compared to the other teams, the 12 who qualified through DPC points are higher seeds and more likely to win the events, with the top 7 out of the 12 listed above.
Now, beyond the seasonal points ranking, one thing to bear in mind is recency bias. Accordingly, a team who has performed better more recently is often favoured over a seasonal favourite.
Most recently, in August, we witnessed the PGL Arlington Major – here were the rankings for this international event hosted by Valve:
- #1 – Team Spirit
- #2 – PSG.LGD
- #3 – Team Aster
- #4 – OG
Luckily, these standings reflect those of the regular season too.
Three Giant Favourites – Huge Storylines
Overall, the three outstanding favourites are the likes of Team Spirit, OG and PSG.LGD. In what order?
Beyond the PGL Arlington event, these teams have been stacked in competition over the past year, each with a rich history too.
Firstly, Team Spirit are the reigning champions from last year, after their incredible cinderella story, where they stunned the entire community. Since then, they’ve dominated the European and have performed incredibly internationally.
Furthermore, there’s PSG.LGD, perhaps one of the frustrated teams in the world. Despite yearly consistency and dominance, they have never won The International – placing on the podium a total of five years. Winning for them would be a massive sigh of relief.
And then, there’s the team with the greatest record in all of Dota 2 – the two-time champions of The International.
Overall, our pick would be Team Spirit due to recent performances.
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