These three are bringing Pinoy pride to the biggest Dota 2 stage.
The Philippines has always had a strong international presence in Dota 2. You can always count on Pinoy players to appear in big tourneys, especially for something as big as The International. Although we couldn’t get an all-Pinoy team this year, we still have three outstanding players heading into The International 2023 that you should watch out for.
Jaunuel Arcilla of Team SMG
One of the quieter pros who’s steadily climbed his way into the international stage is Jaunuel Arcilla. He started his professional career in 2017 playing for the Filipino team Sterling Global Dragons. From then on he would bounce between local and Southeast Asian teams, proving himself as a valuable support player.
In 2022 he joined Fnatic, one of the biggest esports organizations in the world, and would really make a name for himself. Fnatic would top the board in all three tours of the 2022 Dota Pro Circuit with Jaunuel earning the highest average assists per game during tour two. He would then make his first International appearance in the same year.
Kim “Gabbi” Santos of Entity
A veritable hotrod of a player, Gabbi has proven his skill time and again in the crucible of SEA Dota. He has an impressive record of podium finishes in countless SEA tournaments under the banner of Pinoy teams such as Execration and TNC.
While he’s no stranger to The International, his biggest achievement is winning the 2019 MDL Chengdu Major with TNC Predator. Playing above and beyond the competition, they triumphed over international heavy hitters such as Vici Gaming and Evil Geniuses. Gabbi himself had the highest average kills per game in that tournament, proving he’s a force to be reckoned with.
Abed Yusop of Shopify Rebellion
Easily the scariest of the Pinoy players heading to The International 2023, Abed is a monster in every sense of the word. Born from his parents’ small internet cafe in Cavite, Abed lives and breathes Dota 2. He was the first to reach 9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 MMR against other top-level players all over the world.
His skill drew the eyes of international teams, with Digital Chaos, Fnatic, and Evil Geniuses being some of the most prominent organizations he’s played for. A globetrotter, he has played in multiple Majors and is now entering his sixth International. Playing together with legends such as Artour “Arteezy” Babaev and Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, Abed is looking to raise the Aegis of Champions this year.
Banner image from GG Score, Shopify Rebellion, Liquipedia.
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