Undying clinch spot in The International 2021 in NA qualifiers

William Davis Published 04/07/2021

After a flawless run through the upper bracket, North American upper-division mainstay Undying has earned a spot at The International 2021.

Undying entered the qualifiers as the favorites after Kim “DuBu” Doo-young led the team to a bronze finish in both Dota Pro Circuit seasons. The squad entered with some momentum from their championship at BTS Pro Series Season 6, where they defeated 4 Zoomers 3-1 for the trophy. Undying has historically gotten the better of their rivalry and that didn’t change in the TI10 qualifiers.

• Here is every qualified team for The International 2021

Game one started off great for Undying, but a 1,300 gold lead with a Spectre spiraled into a 7,000 deficit at 32 minutes. While that would normally prove to be the death knell for a team, a monstrous physical Viper build from Jonathan “Bryle” Santos De Guia eventually wrestled the advantage back to get the opening advantage for Undying. 

Enzo “Timado” Gianoli O’Connor broke out the carry Axe for game two. The build has seen a resurgence in the safe lane since the 7.29d nerfs. Timado showed why as soon as the horn sounded. A dominant laning phase gave way to a 25-minute Blink Dagger, Manta Style, Aghanim’s Shard, and Boots of Travel.

Undying opted for a very disciplined draft to close out the final round. Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek’s Doom polarized the early and mid game in Undying’s favor. 4 Zoomers got the better of some skirmishes to crack the door open for a comeback, but an ultra kill at the Roshan pit from Bryle flipped the momentum.

With a 24,000 gold lead and super creeps charging down mid lane, only one teamfight stood between Undying and The International 10. Their chance came with a pickoff on Nico “Gunnar” Lopez’s Ember Spirit which escalated into an immediate dieback. GG was called and Undying became North America’s third representative at TI10.

Is Undying a dark horse to win The International 2021?

Undying didn’t lose a single game in their upper bracket TI10 qualifier run. The squad triumphed over The Cut, Black N Yellow, and 4 Zoomers twice to earn their spot. Valve has formally canceled its original plan to host the  $40,000,000 event in Stockholm and is currently searching for a new TI10 host country.

Undying has been arguably the best team that came together ahead of the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit’s start, out-performing teams like Team SMG, NoTechies, and Hellbear Smashers. The team has been a force in North America but hasn’t been able to qualify for majors due to the limited number of major slots in North America. Undying may have the tools to make a deep run if it has a good read on the TI meta and gets hot at the right time.

Read Also

Esports Betting

Heroic Exits Dota 2, and It’s Bad News for the Scene Owen Harsono Norwegian esports organization Heroic has officially called it quits in Dota 2, dropping its roster after two years in the scene. Despite finding relative success, the organization cited financial constraints as the primarily reason for their departure. If a budget-savvy team like Heroic couldn’t make it work, the Dota 2 scene is in big trouble. On May 4, Heroic suddenly announced they’d be pulling the plug on their Dota 2 ...

League of Legends

Playing League of Legends can improve brain function, study finds Khizar Mundia If you have ever found yourself having to defend the countless you spend gaming online then you may now have a ready-made excuse — researchers have just revealed that video games can improve brain function. A team from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China conducted a study comparing League of Legends with Legends of the Three Kingdoms. The study found both improved brain function, with League of ...

Dota 2

Is Dota 2 dying in 2026? Here’s what the numbers really say Ben Boland The question “Is Dota 2 dead?” has been asked by many people over the last couple of years. Since the game’s player base fluctuates and other MOBAs rise in popularity, it’s understandable that some people feel like Dota 2 is dying and its best days are behind it. However, is this really the case? Let’s find out. Once you start looking for some of the best Dota 2 teams or ...

Dota 2

Every Dota 2 International Champion in History: The Complete Winners List Ben Boland If you know a thing or two about esports, “The International” should ring a bell. TI is Dota 2’s yearly tournament and is one of the most prestigious tournament series in all of esports. It’s best known for its million-dollar prize pools, and every edition tells a different story. Below, we list all the winners of Dota 2’s The International. Every year, Valve hosts an iteration of The International, with ...

Kick

ESL FACEIT Group announces Kick partnership, here’s what we know Khizar Mundia ESL FACEIT Group and Kick have signed a partnership that will allow the platform to distribute and broadcast select official CS2 and Dota 2 tournaments. Esports broadcasting rights are an important element for major streaming platforms, as popular tournaments draw millions of viewers. The esports broadcasting network is substantially fragmented as no one platform holds exclusive rights for major tournaments. Kick has been trying to get into the esports scene ...

Dota 2

Best Dota 2 Players in 2026 Owen Harsono In 2026, pro Dota 2 players are on another level, with a bunch of them even passing 17,000 MMR. However, not all of them can prove themselves on the big stage. Below we have ranked the top 10 best Dota 2 players in 2026 who have championship qualities. We have ranked the top 10 Dota 2 players in the world right now. We primarily considered individual skill and overall contribution ...

Dota 2

Best Dota 2 Teams in 2026 Owen Harsono We're currently in one of the most competitive eras in Dota 2, as many teams have the potential to win an event. But, even though the playing field is very even right now, some squads still manage to win out more often than others. Below are the top 10 best Dota 2 teams this year, including details on their recent successes and any question marks that remain. NAVI went for ...