Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon is tearing apart the MMR stratosphere.

The Thai carry just became the first and only 13,000 MMR player in Dota 2. The 20-year-old posted his achievement yesterday, earning his 13,000 MMR status with a match on Naga Siren, where he had a stellar KDA of 9/0/10.

23savage relied on some of his favorites to get him over the hump, according to Dota 2 Pro Tracker. Of the 74 matches he played in the past eight days, he spent nearly one-third playing two heroes — Faceless Void and Monkey King, getting 13 wins and nine losses.



Will 23savage’s pub success translate to pro triumph in 2023?

23savage, T1, ONE Esports Singapore Major
Credit: ONE Esports

Though it can be argued that pub and pro skill don’t directly translate, it certainly requires tenacity and a commitment to grinding — especially as your teammates get worse and worse because of MMR distribution. It’s an impressive achievement for the 20-year-old, who continues to improve year-on-year since he debuted in 2019 as one of Southeast Asia’s highest-MMR prodigies.

The Thai carry helped Talon to some stellar results in the SEA region over the past season, earning a quick promotion from Tour 2’s Division II to getting second place in Tour 3 Division I.

Unfortunately, international results were not as good. The SEA team bounced out of both the Arlington Major and The International 11, despite a dominant Regional Qualifiers run.

23savage is staying with Talon Esports for the Dota Pro Circuit 2023 season, along with new additions Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong and Chan “Oli” Chon Kien, two captains for their former teams. It’s a shrewd move from Talon, who’s not looking for just more talent — but stability and leadership, qualities that often drive criticism about SEA teams.

READ MORE: Topson on playing for T1: ‘There was no strong leadership that I’m used to like with OG’