Team Spirit made franchise history today after beating nouns on the opening day of BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024. TI 2023 champions put on a solid performance against the North American representatives and started the group stage on a high note.
The two-to-zero victory over nouns marked Spirit’s 21st win in a row and the 31st series the team completed without a defeat. Spirit has been stampeding its way through the competitive scene since the summer of 2023 when it returned to the Dota 2 summit and took $15 million home after winning Riyadh Masters.
Considering Spirit botched most of their major appearances in 2023, their return to form was unexpected. The Eastern European titans built on their post-Riyadh momentum and swept the DreamLeague Season 21 grand finals in September. TI 2023 was the icing on the cake for Spirit, and the roster took a break after lifting the Aegis for a second time.
Spirit missed ESL One Kuala Lumpur, and fans wondered whether they would return with the same drive after dominating 2023. Now that Spirit is back, it feels like they never left, as they’re still putting out prime performances. Missing the first tournament of the year could cause a team to miss out on invites, but that hasn’t been the case for Spirit since the team shows no signs of weakness.
With Valve giving competitive Dota 2‘s ropes to third-party organizers, fans will get to see more of Spirit on the international stage since teams won’t be locked into regional Dota Pro Circuit seasons that are too long. Performing well in these third-party tournaments will be the key to qualifying for TI 2024 and the major tournaments throughout the year.
