Tides of Change: Dissecting North America’s inconsistency

The article is written by Calan "CozmikMonkey" Panchoo, guest editor

West Rising

The Europeans and the Chinese have held Dota 2 in a vice grip since its inception into competitive e-sports. North America has always been represented in Dota 2, but has been notoriously inconsistent. For many it has always faced the backs of both China and Europe.



“I feel like the American scene has been behind for the entirety of Dota 2,” syndereN told GosuGamers. “But they are catching up.”



The third International was marred for many American fans by Evil Geniuses’ inability to qualify for the flagship tournament. This New Year seemed to have brought not only truckloads of auspicious items, but also auspicious portents for the few North American teams – teams that appeared to have a real chance of finally competing on the world stage.



"The current EG is looking very promising. If they have the right mindset, I think they can go far” said syndereN. “On paper the current Liquid team is stronger than that of last year, but lately it hasn't been going too well for them. They need to get their confidence back. They're great players, but it takes more than that to be a top team."



Before we talk specifics – namely all of the notoriety Liquid has been getting lately – we have to look at why North America matters at all. At a glance the North American scene is not worth the special recognition in 2014. What makes them pivotal is their place in the grand scheme of affairs. If they can succeed, it means other nations can as well.

Major tournaments like The International drive teams to hone their skills and compete for great reward and even greater publicity. North American teams have been trying to crack the European and Chinese bastions for some time, and if they were finally able to pull it off it would show that smaller countries can eventually become contenders as well – one of the first steps in pushing Dota 2 to become a truly worldwide game. Unfortunately the lack of results and weak group chemistry has held them back and often killed off older North American squads completely.



"Teams fall apart because they don't get the results they want and they don't think they can do it with the pieces they have” said Monolith.



It takes more than throwing five people together to make a great team, and the best teams don’t just have great players but the right communication and team spirit. It is an equation North America has been unable to balance.



“Teams consist of five players with different personalities and mentalities, and conflicts of different kinds arise” said syndereN.“It's often hard to find a solution that all team members are satisfied with, and then disbands/roster changes are bound to happen in one way or the other.”



Finally however it seems that the tides are turning, as change has come about in a most surprising way.

To Err is Human

Now, this article has been brewing for more than a month. The reason it never saw earlier release is because the North American Dota 2 sphere has proven rather volatile as of late; it has truly lived up to its name. At every turn we found ourselves struggling to make confident assertions about how to find hope in the beleaguered scene.

Then Brian “FLUFFNSTUFF” Lee posted a lengthy and an emotional blog which captured the attention of the Dota world. In it he decribed Team Liquid for their inability to stay consistent; it also stood as a screaming exclamation mark which illuminated many of the problems concerning North American Dota:



“Team Liquid has been a joke for as long as I can remember; nothing but a streak of disappointing results and inconsistent play. Everyone looks at us and says, "Hey, they are team that will let me down" and "Hey, their team has so much potential, but I wouldn't bet my money on them." We're losers, we just are. And I'm a bigger loser for letting all of this happen. I don't know how many blogs I've put out that stressed the improvement of our team that basically led to empty promises of success.”



For a while it looked as though Liquid was going to fall apart on a national stage. It didn’t, and while I won’t condone his methods, I will say FLUFF’s purpose was paramount. His words were a breath of fresh air as it showed North American players are also tired of being average. It is these types of awakenings that prove the many years of mediocrity wear on those who truly want to win. The blog is a showcase that North America is so much closer to relevance than it appears, if teams can only find that inner fire – that drive to keep improving regardless of the obstacles. He wants to succeed, no matter what it takes.

He has since been removed from Team Liquid, but has announced a new team, Sneaky Nyx Assassins, with old colleague ixmike88. His tenure at Liquid did not end with a storybook finish, and ostensibly it is a step backward; but, it is precisely the type of shake-up needed: just like in professional sports, often great players just need a change of scenery to truly excel.

The blog also offered a lot of insight, as he talked about how his old team – Team FIRE – stood for purpose, friendship, trust and hope. We are all endlessly familiar with terms like synergy and composition, but rarely do we see how important friendship is in Dota 2. Interestingly, it is Alliance – the TI3 champs no less – who said that even when they lose, they don’t stress because they are all family.



I can't pretend to know anything about Swedish anthropology enough to be able to dissect why that is other than say much cultural homogeny, such economy, wow” joked Monolith. “It goes without saying that the fact that they all speak Swedish and have similar cultural backgrounds help their chemistry and makes them a stronger team overall. And yes, when they play in front of a Swedish crowd, they are much more difficult to beat.



However, this does not seem to work with North American teams. Their lack of success and fluctuating rosters mean that there is rarely a team for fans to connect with for long periods of time. Due to this volatile nature, people have stopped believing in North American Dota as a whole. But not all squads have meteoric rises a la Alliance, and sometimes even teams like Liquid can be salvaged.



“Some players also required more experience to become the players that they are now. Bulba has grown tremendously from his time on ItsGosu not only as a player but also as a person. The same can be said of people like Aui and Demon” said Monolith.“It’s a pretty intuitive idea that the longer a scene and the players within it exist, the better they become.”







When I asked syndereN if a North American team could truly win The International this summer, he told me this: “Yes, but I think it's very unlikely.” It’s not an answer that surprises anyone, but in a way it is the perfect answer. It can be hard to predict the outcome of roster changes, but every change is a new beginning. As fans, we have to believe they can do it. It is the same principle that propels great teams like Alliance to be so formidable in front of their own fans; our support drives their passion and we have to be true supporters even when they are losing.

Why? Because we are Dota players too.

We love fading hope and mounting odds, but what we adore even more are bold moves and fearless comebacks – those that defy expectations and amplify the glory along with the damage. Many have been waiting for North America’s moment of brilliance and it may just come if we are bold enough to believe that no matter the circumstance we can win any battle.

Sniper images by Cyborgmatt and Kamixaqui







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