The numbers say these are the best pro players in Dota 2 today

Steven Rondina Published 19/09/2020

Tracking the best Dota 2 players in the world is a difficult endeavor. But using a new algortihm, we can help.

There are six regions that operate in unison almost year-round, with 2020 seeing them compete in a nonstop grind of regional leagues. There’s just too much Dota 2 for any one person to keep up with, never even mind sorting through who the best individual players are.

That’s why WIN.gg developed an algorithmic system for keeping track of the best players in Dota 2. The list includes hundreds of names, but we’ll focus on the top 20.

Team Secret dominates top 10, YapzOr sits atop the pack

As with the entire Dota 2 pro scene, Team Secret dominates the top 10 players. Each individual member of the team has shined brightly in 2020, something that has yielded the team almost $1 million in prize pool winnings even in this barren financial year.

Though each member of Secret has a justifiable claim for the “best in the world” spot, WIN.gg’s ranking algorithm has Yazied “YapzOr” Jaradat as Dota 2’s top star by a decent margin. That’s fitting, as the addition of YapzOr is what really marked the beginning of Secret’s rise to the top.

Though the team has been elite since its formation, the addition of YapzOr as a support in 2017 saw the team really hit its stride and become almost a constant in major grand finals. YapzOr has also been a steady hand for Team Secret in the three years since and stands as the most tenured member of the team next to captain Clement “Puppey” Ivanov.

Ramzes666 breaks up the top-five Secret party

The one player butting his nose into Secret having complete control over the top five is Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev, who comes in at No 4. While the 2019-2020 Dota 2 season will go down as a lost one for RAMZES666, his actual in-game performances have been great.

The season saw him make the counterintuitive move from Virtus.pro carry to Evil Geniuses off laner, but that was met with strong success as Evil Geniuses placed top four in the first two majors of the season as well as ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore. Travel restrictions saw him separated from Evil Geniuses for much of 2020, but he returned with a respectable performance in Omega League.

Evil Geniuses may be planning to transition from North America to Europe and that would allow Ramzes666 to compete with the team on a full-time basis, regardless of what form the 2021 season looks like. Ramzes666 may have benefited from the limited sample size of games he’s had this year, but he has the skills to continue to establish himself as one of the game’s best off laners in the coming months.

Fnatic drops top-rated player JabZ

Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong stands as Southeast Asia’s top-ranked player, and the only one from the region rated in the top 10 by WIN.gg. He helped Fnatic to an exceptional year that includes a number of first-place finishes and a run of form in which the team won five events in a row. This firmly cemented Fnatic as the best in the SEA region and the seventh on our list of the best teams on the globe.

That didn’t stop Fnatic from booting JabZ off the team last week, though. With Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang on an indefinite hiatus, the organization kicked Jabz in order to add former TNC captain Nico “eyyou” Barcelon. The organization wants a proven captain with its current shot-caller on the shelf, and Jabz just didn’t make the cut.

That’s a tough blow for Jabz, who has been on point throughout the year. With a slew of other Southeast Asian stars currently free agents, it’s going to be very interesting to see where JabZ lands.

Faith_bian stands as China’s best, for now

When one thinks of China’s best Dota 2 players, they’ll likely look to Lu “Somnus” Yao, Xu “fy” Linsen, or Zhang “Eurus” Chengjun. Instead, topping the Chinese charts at No. 16 on WIN.gg’s rankings is Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida of EHOME.

The TI6 champion has helped EHOME post a quietly strong 2020 thus far. The team performed well early in tournaments, and scored a pair of key victories in the summer by winning both seasons of the DPL-CDA Professional League.

Behind Faith_bian at 20 is Vici Gaming’s Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang. Ori has been an anchor for Vici Gaming since joining in 2017, helping the team return to elite status with a number of strong performances in Dota Pro Circuit majors.

It might be a bit surprising to see Faith_bian and Ori as the top Chinese players, and that may be doubly the case for how no Chinese player appears on the list until No. 16. This largely stems from a bit of decay due to all notable Chinese teams being on a break at the moment. Expect that tide to rise when the region resumes competition, and expect players to shuffle positions.

Nigma, Quincy Crew players sitting just outside top 10

While the top 10 is dominated by Team Secret, the top 20 features players from a wider variety of teams. There are still some teams that get some extra representation, though.

Team Nigma’s Maroun “GH” Merhej, Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi, and Ivan Borislavov “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov sit at spots 12 through 14, respectively. 2020 has quietly been a roller coaster of a year for Nigma, but the team has been on an upswing of late that includes a first-place finish in the OGA Dota PIT Season 2 and third in Omega League.

Sitting at 17 and 18 are Quincy Crew’s Yawar “YawaR” Hassan and Avery “SVG” Silverman. Quincy Crew has been one of the best teams in Dota 2 during recent months, which includes six straight first-place finishes in tournaments. YawaR and SVG have both been a big part of that and the team will only enjoy greater success if Evil Geniuses makes its move to Europe a permanent one.

Also in the top 20 are several of European and CIS players including Team Liquid’s Max “qojqva” Bröcker, FlyToMoon’s Victor “GeneRaL” Nigrini, and Alliance’s Artsiom “fng” Barshak.

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.

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