'DOTA 2' The International 2017 Invites Revealed; Valve Announces 6 Invited Teams

By Nathaniel Artosilla, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, June 20, 2017

It's that time of the year where all "DOTA 2" teams gather to win bragging rights and millions of dollars in prizes. Yes, The International 2017 is here, and Valve has announced the six teams that were too good for the qualifiers.

One thing to note about The International is that it is no longer open only to professional eSports teams. Now, everyone can have the chance to compete with all the big names of "DOTA" with the open qualifiers.

But enough about that, because while 18 teams will have the honor of participating in the play, six of them have already impressed Lord Gaben enough to secure a direct invite. And here they are:

Team Liquid

This really comes as no surprise, with Team Liquid decimating every opponent in recent months. Featuring the talents of Miracle, Kuroky, Mind Control, Matumbaman, and GH, the team is the clear favorite to claim the Aegis of Champions.

OG has been a team to be reckoned with, securing four major championships in the span of two years. Their run in the last International was cut short by an underdog, however, and they are now back to take what is theirs. While the team has had a few bad games here and there, NoTail, Fly, Ana, Jerax, and s4 are still one very solid team.

The former champions are back to try and become the first two-time winner of The International. With the Old Man Dota and PPD gone, it will now be up to Sumail, Universe, Arteezy, Crit, and Zai to bring home a second Aegis of Champions.

Invictus Gaming

One of the teams to claim the Aegis of Champions while "DOTA 2" was still in beta, Invictus Gaming has had its ups and downs. Backed by the son of the richest man in China, the team needs to prove once again that they are the best Chinese team out there. Featuring the legendary Burning, as well as OP, Q, Boboka, and Xxs, the team is eyeing to relive its glory days.

Newbee

Another champion is here to reclaim what is theirs. Newbee waded through the competition in convincing fashion in the TI4 to claim the coveted Aegis. While the original roster has long since departed from the team, the new team made up of Moogy, Sccc, Faith, Kpii, and Kaka could be the new roster to claim the aegis.

Virtus Pro

The name Virtus Pro once instilled fear in the world of eSports; however, their "DOTA 2" division slowly faded to oblivion. Now the team is once again roaring stomping through opponents with ease. Featuring old and new talents, namely Mr. 322 himself, Solo, as well as LiL, 9pasha, No[o]ne, and Ramzes666, the team could be the first from Eastern Europe to claim the Aegis since Natus Vincere.