Team Secret has an amazing competitive history.
The organization has hosted many of the greatest Dota 2 players of all time and consistently fields one of the most talented rosters in the game. While the team is largely synonymous with longtime captain Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, it has hosted some of the greatest individual talents in every role, including Artour "Arteezy" Babaev, Tal "Fly" Aizik, Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi, and more.
Right from the start, that ability to attract top talents translated into success for Team Secret. Its debut season included six tournament victories alongside strong performances in a number of other prominent events. It was heavily shaken up following The International 2015, but every time a player left, another premiere talent was there to join Secret. The team scored the biggest win of its history in 2016 at the Shanghai Major and continued to stay right at the top of the Dota 2 scene from there.
Miring those early years were allegations of the organization improperly handling player payouts. A former manager for Team Secret spoke out on the matter on social media. which was followed by an explosive accusation from former carry player Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao. Puppey, an owner of Team Secret, acknowledged that there were some issues during a boardroom transition in the organization, but stated that the organization had later fulfilled its financial obligations to players.
While some pushed back against those claims, the change in management did mark the start of a massive competitive upswing for Secret. Roster changes following the Shanghai Major derailed their momentum temporarily, but the team became a regular favorite to win big events during the 2017-2018 Dota Pro Circuit season. The year started with the team taking second place at ESL One Hamburg 2017 and first at the DreamLeague Season 8 Major.
The one competitive knock against Secret is that while it has managed to perform well in majors, it hasn’t been able to emulate that success at The International to this point. To date, the organization is yet to place higher than fourth at the annual Dota 2 tournament.
