win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 All about Arteezy, Dota 2’s biggest esports and streaming star

All about Arteezy, Dota 2's biggest esports and streaming star

Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina Published 31/12/2021
Google Preferred Source

Artour “Arteezy” Babaev is a professional Dota 2 player best known for his time with Evil Geniuses. He is also one of Dota 2’s most popular streamers.

He began playing Dota 2 at a professional level at just 16 years old. In 2013, he was added to a formidable Kaipi roster. This only lasted for a short time as he juggled school and competitive play.

He bounced around multiple teams before finding an opportunity as the mid laner for SADBOYS, a squad of North American players that included Evil Geniuses captain Clinton “Fear” Loomis, veteran off laner Saahil “Universe” Arora, and Heroes of Newerth alumni Peter “ppd” Dager and Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg. The team found quick success, which led to the squad being sponsored by Evil Geniuses. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKtLH5DK5z0

Arteezy and SADBOYS revitalize Evil Geniuses

This roster helped transform Evil Geniuses from a regional favorite into a global elite, winning such events as the Monster Energy Invitational and The Summit 1. The new team’s first season ended with a third-place performance at The International 2014, despite the team playing without Fear.

EG continued that success into the following season, exploding out of the gate by winning World E-sport Championships 2014 and StarLadder StarSeries Season 10. Despite that competitive dominance, Arteezy abruptly left Evil Geniuses to become the new carry player of Team Secret. Arteezy and Secret enjoyed strong success throughout the year, but the move ultimately benefited Evil Geniuses more than anyone else. 

While Secret won a number of live events, Evil Geniuses without Arteezy won the two biggest Dota 2 events of the year in the Dota 2 Asia Championship and The International 2015. 

Arteezy returned to Evil Geniuses as the team’s carry following TI5, performing well alongside his mid lane replacement in Syed “SumaiL” Hassan. EG looked strong at the Frankfurt Major and Shanghai Major, but Arteezy split off to join Team Secret once again, this time taking off laner Universe with him. 

Arteezy returns to Evil Geniuses after missing out on TI5 championship

Though Arteezy had been playing as a carry, he found himself back in the mid lane in 2016 with former Kaipi teammate Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao taking on carry duties for Secret. Despite being a star-studded roster, Secret struggled badly with Arteezy mid, which resulted in the team finishing in last place at the Manila Major and at The International 2016. Arteezy went on to express regret over having returned to Secret a second time.

He returned to Evil Geniuses and transitioned back into a carry role after TI6. EG found quick success by winning the 2016 MDL Autumn season and The Manila Masters, as well as placing in the top-four at the Boston and Kiev Majors.

Despite being strong throughout the year, Evil Geniuses flopped at The International 2017.

Evil Geniuses went through a down year from there, with the return of Fear and captaincy of Rasmus “MISERY” Filipsen yielding generally negative results. The team went through a shakeup late in the season by adding OG’s Gustav “s4” Magnusson and Tal “Fly” Aizik, which paid off in the form of a top-three finish at The International 2018.

Arteezy becomes one of Evil Geniuses’ longest-tenured players

The new lineup would return for the 2018-2019 season and enjoyed strong results, including three third-place finishes in majors. The team posted a respectable top-six finish at The International 2019.

Arteezy remained with Evil Geniuses following another shakeup to the roster that saw s4 and SumaiL benched. Though the moves were somewhat controversial, the team got off to a strong start to the season with a fourth-place finish in the MDL Chengdu Major and second-place finishes at ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore and DreamLeague Season 13.

Evil Geniuses’ momentum was derailed by the mass-cancelation of events and the implementation of travel restrictions in 2020. The team initially competed in a variety of regional leagues but was largely inactive during 2020. He became one of the first North American players to hit 11,000 MMR during this time.

Ahead of the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit’s return, roster changes came to Evil Geniuses though Arteezy would remain with the team yet again. The following season was a strong one for EG, as the squad reached the grand finals of both Dota Pro Circuit majors.

Despite that success during the season, EG fizzled out before it could make a deep run at The International 2021 as it finished in ninth place. This resulted in a significant overhaul of Evil Geniuses’ roster due to the departure of team captain Fly. 

Steven Rondina Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile
Read Also
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Dota 2
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...
BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Dota 2
BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Michael Hassall LGD Gaming in the top three of a tournament!? What is this 2021? BLAST Slam VII has been one of the most surprising tournaments of the year, and has capped off the pre-EWC and TI season with some of the most thrilling gameplay we’ve seen in months. And the finals are set to be even more exciting. With just three teams left there’s a lot on the line, from the ...
Easiest Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners – Best Picks to Learn the Game Dota 2
Easiest Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners – Best Picks to Learn the Game Simon Day We can all agree that Dota 2 is a complex game, but starting with the right heroes can make the learning process much smoother. Choosing one of the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners is key to building your skills and enjoying your matches. That’s why it’s time to explore the heroes that are easy to understand, effective in the game and great for learning the fundamentals. Without going into ...
BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Preview – Visa issues transform the playoff picture Dota 2
BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Preview – Visa issues transform the playoff picture Michael Hassall BLAST Slam VII is the last major tournament before teams lock-in and compete at the EWC and The International, and as a result, we’re seeing a tournament with some unique outcomes. With teams seemingly treating this as a last-minute tune-up before the championship clashes of the next two months, a South American team has topped the table and some of the best teams in the world are either without players ...
TI-Champions Tundra Esports exit Dota 2 as roster transfers to 1win Dota 2
TI-Champions Tundra Esports exit Dota 2 as roster transfers to 1win Michael Hassall Tundra Esports has revealed it’s leaving Dota 2 after six years and a victory at The International 2022. The UK-based organization has announced its roster will transfer directly to 1win for future events. The announcement, posted on Tundra's socials on June 1, confirms rumors and earlier social posts from 1win which hinted at a new lineup. With the move, however, questions about 1win’s existing EEU roster and attendance at The ...
A full weekend of TI15 tickets will cost you just $280 – If you don’t mind the view Dota 2
A full weekend of TI15 tickets will cost you just $280 – If you don’t mind the view Michael Hassall Alongside the team invites for The International 2026, Valve today (May 26) unveiled the pricing and details of how to purchase tickets for TI15, and the price is the lowest in years. For years we’ve seen the price of The International Prize, with a peak of around $700 as a lowest price for a full weekend for both 2023 in Seattle, and 2024 in Copenhagen. But after a fall in ...
Valve has announced the TI15 invites: Here’s why some team names are very different Dota 2
Valve has announced the TI15 invites: Here’s why some team names are very different Michael Hassall It’s around three months until The International 2026, TI15, and Valve has just unveiled the direct invites and qualifier invites to the event, but eagle-eyed fans will notice some strange names in the team lists. Valve unveiled the invites in the small hours of the morning on May 26 (late evening on May 25 for their HQ in Bellevue, Washington), detailing the seven direct invites, regional qualifier invites, and some ...