Dota 2 na vi top plays of 2016

The Top 10 Dota 2 Players of 2016

With three fantastic Majors, one of the best Internationals ever and countless tournaments in the books, 2016 has been a fantastic year of Dota 2. But in a year filled with inconsistent results, which players emerged as the best across the entire year? Presenting your Top 10 Dota 2 Players of 2016.

10. Verros “Maybe Next Time” Apostolos – Ad Finem exploded in popularity at The Boston Major due to their improbable run to the Grand Finals. Much of it was thanks to the significant contributions of Maybe Next Time, as he kept his team alive and in contention through his support skills. With his team at the forefront of Dota heading into 2017, Maybe Next Time has to prove that Boston wasn’t just a one time deal.

9. Zhang “xiao8” Ning – Though he is far removed from winning TI4 with Newbee, xiao8 has proven that he is still just as capable of leading teams to success in 2016. As both an offlaner and support, xiao8 provides a sturdy foundation with which LGD Gaming and LGD. ForeverYoung could build around.

8. Zhou “bLink” Yang – In a year where Chinese teams struggled, Wings Gaming stuck together through trying times and won the Aegis of Champions at TI6 for their efforts. Wings’ mid laner bLink deserves much of the praise for why his team succeeded, and his mid lane aggression destabilized his opponents and created plenty of openings for Wings. Dependable and with a large hero pool behind him, bLink is one of the best players on Wings Gaming.

7. Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng – Though he only began his professional career last December, MidOne was one of the main reasons why Fnatic succeeded throughout the first half of 2016. A breath of fresh air on a team that had routinely struggled to reach the top, MidOne became known for his efficient farming and skillful use of heroes such as Templar Assassin and Invoker. Thanks to his efforts, Fnatic claimed an impressive fourth place at TI6 before he joined Team Secret. Thankfully, his time on Secret has shown that there is still plenty of room to grow for the young player.

6. Saahil “UNiVeRsE” Arora – UNiVeRsE is the most consistent offlaner in the world. No matter what hero he plays or what his team’s composition is, you can always count on UNiVeRsE to start the plays that send his opponents reeling. That said, his first half of the year was marred by his time on Team Secret, who promptly faltered and collapsed at The Manila Major. It is on EG where UNiVeRsE has seen his greatest success, and where he will continue to see it going forward.

5. Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen – Cr1t – was already one of the best supports in the world, with two Major titles behind him, before he surprised many by joining EG in August as their new captain. While he still has a long way to go, Cr1t – has successfully taken the reins from ppd on EG and is now at the head of the strongest North American team in Dota. Dota 2 na vi top plays of 2016 The switch to NA has also not dulled his skill as support, and he remains one of the best in the world

4. Aliwi “w33” Omar – Arguably the best Invoker in the world, w33 dominates the mid lane, though his future was in doubt after he was kicked from Team Secret a few weeks after he won The Shanghai Major. Fortunately for w33, Digital Chaos has allowed him to continue to grow and develop into one of the strongest mid laners in the world. Though DC faltered in the Grand Finals of TI6 and placed in the Top 4 at The Boston Major, w33 remains a force to be reckoned with heading into 2017.

3. Zhang “faith_bian” Ruida – Faith_bian’s strong performances across a wide variety of offlane heroes has helped propel Wings Gaming to the top of Dota 2. Aggressive to the extreme, faith_bian is one of the best roaming gankers in the world, always aware of when to precisely and effectively take apart his opponents.

2. Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka – JerAx has been the best support throughout 2016, setting up plays that turn the tide of games with frightening consistency. His Earth Spirit is legendary, and he retains one of the larger hero pools among supports. Despite this, he was unable to win a Major title on Team Liquid, whom he had played with for the better part of the year. It was only in joining OG that JeRax secured his first Valve title, which is likely to be the first of many. Whether on Liquid or OG, JerAx has proven to be a great initiator and a dependable support.

1. Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi – Miracle – is leagues ahead of every other player in Dota 2. There has been no other player throughout the year who has left as big of an impact as him in individual play, no matter what hero he chooses. Though he did participate at the most recent Major and fell short of glory at TI6, one Major title and three tournament wins is nothing to scoff at. If anything, his limited appearances in the back half of the year mean that he still has room to get better – a sobering thought for Miracle-‘s opponents.

Preston Dozsa is a news editor for theScore esports whose journalism idol is Dino Ghiranze. You can follow him on Twitter.