The International 10 (TI10) has gathered the best teams and players from around the world to battle it out for the most prestigious title in Dota 2, the Aegis of the Immortal.
We’ve witnessed offlaners turning the tides of battle in past events, and this year’s competitors look to do the same.
Here is ONE Esports’ list of the most notable offlaners you need to watch at The International 10.
The 5 best offlaners to watch out for at TI10
Faith_bian (PSG.LGD)
Credit: ONE Esports
Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida has proven to be a great addition to PSG.LGD since the start of the 2021 DPC season. Faith_bian knows what it takes to dominate the Dota 2 competition as a former TI6 champion with Wings Gaming.
Since joining PSG.LGD, Faith_bian has produced amazing results, helping the team emerge victorious at the WePlay AniMajor, along with a strong third-place performance at the ONE Esports Singapore Major.
Faith_bian also has a creative offlane hero pool. The Chinese team’s Axe pick threw opponents off because there was no telling if the hero would be played as a carry or an offlaner. This strategy greatly aided PSG.LGD in winning the WePlay AniMajor.
iceiceice (Evil Geniuses)
Daryl “iceiceice” Koh is one of the most experienced players at TI10. He’s participated in every TI tournament, except for The International 2017.
Iceiceice is a handful to deal with in the offlane and has shown in the past that he’s capable of taking over games by himself.
Iceiceice joined Evil Geniuses’ roster last year. Since then, the squad soared higher as the runners-up of the ONE Esports Singapore Major and the WePlay AniMajor. These showings landed them first place in the DPC 2021 Point rankings.
As one of the best offlaners in the world, iceiceice excels at controlling his lane on heroes like Timbersaw, Tidehunter, and Sand King, who scale towards the late game and are all difficult to kill.
Kuku (T1)
Team captain Carlo “Kuku” Palad knows how to lead a team to victory. Kuku was the captain of TNC Predator in 2016 and led Geek Fam in 2019. He then helped transform T1 from an underdog squad into a true TI10 contender this year.
The Southeast Asian squad showed that it can compete against top-tier international teams with a third-place finish at the WePlay AniMajor.
As an experienced captain, Kuku directs the team in-game, and plays the core offlane role. Opponents at TI10 should keep an eye out for Kuku’s offlane Doom, who acts as an initiator, tank, and team fight controller that can turn clashes around.
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Wisper (beastcoast)
Adrián “Wisper” Céspedes Dobles is the lone Bolivian pro competing at The International 10. Wisper made history this year as the first South American player to reach 11k MMR.
Wisper made his TI debut with Infamous in 2019 where he showed he could outperform teams from the top regions. He helped the squad make it out of the dreaded group stage, upsetting Chinese powerhouses Keen Gaming and Newbee in the lower bracket of TI9.
He has one of the more interesting hero pools of any offlaner coming to TI10. Wisper has used an offlane Leshrac in the past, which worked against rival South American squad, Thunder Predator.
Ceb (OG)
TI8 and TI9 have taught us to never count out European squad OG at The International.
Even if Sébastien “Ceb” Debs plays with only one eye, OG still has a good chance of winning it all. They have proven they’re the most dangerous team, especially when their backs are against the wall.
Although Ceb had a lackluster 2021 DPC season, the team has gradually improved, and won the stacked TI10 Europe Regional Qualifier. They are certainly starting to look like the OG of old that won two back-to-back TI championships right before TI10.
Ceb is a passionate offlaner who has come up big for OG in the past. He was instrumental in OG’s first TI8 win, with a stellar Axe performance that saved his team from the brink of defeat.
The question remains — will Ceb be adding a third Aegis to his famed trophy case?
Offlaners Faith_bian, iceiceice, Kuku, Wisper, and Ceb will be competing at The International 10’s group stage from October 7 to 10. It will take place in Bucharest, Romania, and will be broadcasted live on Dota 2 International official Twitch channel.
Find out how some of the other teams made it to The International 10 by watching this Heroes of the Game documentary presented by Foodpanda.
READ MORE: An inside look at the practice rooms Dota 2 teams are competing in at TI10
