Best Dota 2 Players for the Carry Role

The year 2022 kicks off with a major shift in what truly defines the best Dota 2 carry player. Last year’s International (TI10) crowned an underdog team from Eastern Europe, Team Spirit as champions, who defeated the favorites, PSG.LGD. The victory shook the Dota 2 Esports scene, setting a trend for Esports powerhouses to revamp rosters. However, unlike past practices, powerhouses are looking for players from the amateur pool instead of relying on high-profile pros.

Furthermore, we figured we would also retire Anathan “ana” Pham from the list of best carry players Dota 2 in 2022. After all, the two-time champion has retired from the Dota 2 scene for two years now, and we need to make way for new mentions.

For this iteration of Dota 2 best carry players, we take into account of the player’s potential heading into the Dota Pro Circuit 2021-22 (DPC2021-22), and lesser on their achievements last year.

Yatoro from Team Spirit

At the age of eighteen, Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk hails as the best Dota 2 carry player to-date. His large hero pool gives him leverage in drafting as opponents struggle to shut down the hard carry player. In fact, Yatoro played fourteen different heroes over twenty games during TI10, which earned him the proclaimed title as the most versatile player too.

His massive hero pool is coupled with his high-impact contributions in every game. Yatoro often plays aggressively and takes every opportunity to engage opponents. Hence, it didn’t come as a surprise when Yatoro managed to get three rampages in TI10, making him the current record holder for most rampages in the Internationals series.

While Yatoro’s kit is impressive on its own, Team Spirit’s success wouldn’t have come true without his trusty teammates.

Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk

Collapse from Team Spirit

Offlane players or position 3 rarely qualify for the best carry Dota 2 player can achieve. After all, these lanes are often harsh, and it’s difficult enough to survive, let alone farm safely. Yet, Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov plays the toughest carry role in Dota 2 as if it’s a middle lane. His signature heroes consist of the initiation-type picks, such as Magnus, Mars, and even Doom. Opponents fear Collapse’s signature picks so much that they just don’t have the leeway to ban other Team Spirit players’ heroes.

Hence, Collapse’s reputation is already affecting opponents before the match even begins, once again indirectly benefiting his teammates. The respect bans spent to prevent Collapse from becoming the wunderkind he sought out to be, has become a debacle among viewers.

During the fifth game of TI10 grand finals between Team Spirit and PSG.LGD, the lather let Magnus fall to Collapse’s hands, which ultimately made PSG.LGD look like fools. The backlash in Chinese social media was so bad that PSG.LGD players had to publicly explain to fans why they did not ban Magnus.

Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov

NothingToSay from PSG.LGD

“Na-na-Nothing to say,” is probably how it felt when Cheng “NothingToSay” Jin Xiang became a TI10 finalist. Considering it was also his first debut at a TI, NothingToSay instantly became a worthy candidate for the best Dota 2 carry player. The Malaysian player has been with PSG.LGD since late 2020, the time when the Chinese powerhouse was undergoing major roster shuffle.

However, the team quickly regained momentum to become a formidable powerhouse in China, winning the WePlay AniMajor 2021.

Perhaps what sets NothingToSay apart from PSG.LGD’s former mid-players are his diminishing presence in the game. His offensive playstyle synergizes well with Wang “Ame” Chunyu, who only shines when his opponents are being locked down. NothingToSay plays decent crowd control heroes, notably Magnus and Tinker, which are great as semi-supports for Ame. The young player has certainly earned his reputation among Chinese fans and is off to a phenomenal start in DPC2021-22.

Cheng “NothingToSay” Jin Xiang

Matumbaman from Team Liquid

Former TI7 champion, Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen is better known today for his outstanding performance in Team Secret, and recently Team Liquid.

MATUMBAMAN returns as one of the surviving best Dota 2 carry players from last year’s iteration. Matumbaman’s year 2021 career has mostly been about his journey to relevancy with Team Secret after getting kicked from Team Liquid. Eventually, Team Secret made it to TI10 and secured their best Internationals achievement, third place.

Surely not as impressive as playing in TI10 finals, but the third-place victory was perhaps the highest Team Secret could have achieved. Hence, MATUMBAMAN sets out again in search of a new team to play for. Team Liquid answered MATUMBAMAN’s calling and together with Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg, the iconic duo made Team Liquid great again.

First place in DPC2021-22 Western Europe, and a close runner-up in regional finals.

Fun fact, the Chinese players refer to him as the Toilet Bowl/Bro because “Matu” sounds like the Mandarin pronunciation of a toilet bowl. Of course, they didn’t mean it negatively, since MATUMBAMAN is wholly recognized as a TI champion and still a top choice in Dota 2 Betting.

Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen

Honorable Mentions

We had one less candidate this time around to fit into the official Dota 2 best carry player hall of fame. Nonetheless, the DPC2021-22 has showcased many formidable talents that we believe could become TI11 hopefuls.

Yopaj from BOOM Esports

The Southeast Asian scene recently found a strong representative that can rival other regions’ top teams. BOOM Esports rise to fame in a relatively short duration has gotten many fans onboard their bandwagon.

Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer is BOOM Esports’ mid-player and is frequently dubbed as SEA’s SumaiL. Even then, that felt very much like an understatement for Yopaj, whose true strength as a mid-player comes from his trickster attitude.

BOOM from Gladiators

Another rising star from the DPC2021-22 EEU, Gladiators is making waves after they defeated Team Liquid. Team Liquid’s stance was initially unbeatable during the DPC2021-22 Division 1, making them the fan favorites heading into the regional finals. Even then, they were not invulnerable to Gladiators’ tricks.

After two previous losses, Gladiators finally attempted a strategy that could cripple Team Liquid. In short, it’s by having a global presence by having an overpowered Io and its skill, Relocate. Even then, Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan played a vital role in ensuring they initiate on Team Liquid when they least suspected.

Team Liquid lost its map control, and it was eventually easy pickings for BOOM.

DarkMago from Thunder Predator

Lastly, hailing from South America is Herrera “Darkmago” Martínez Oswaldo Gonzalo and Thunder Predator. The SA scene needed a necessary bounce after all three SA participants in TI10 underperformed.

Now, it’s all eyes on Thunder Predator, and his all-star candidate, Darkmago. The line-up was formerly NoPing e-sports’ roster before TI10 but missed the opportunity. Hence, Thunder Predator is aiming to represent SA as the region’s strongest, which by the looks of their performance in DPC2021-22 is possible.

Quick List

The debate on “Who is the best carry player in Dota 2?” goes on, unending and unanswered. As we speak, teams participating in the DPC2021-22 are putting the hours to rise into the Dota 2 hall of fame. Even the retired champion, ana, was rumored to be kickstarting his pro career once again. Until then, these are players and teams that will be the talk of the town heading into the year 2022.

Best Dota2 Players in 2021

Best Dota 2 Players in the Carry Role in 2021

It’s the year 2021, and the best carry player Dota 2 has to offer might be your casual read for the weekend. Over the past decade of everything Dota 2, the hottest debate among players have always been simply about, “Who is the best carry player in Dota 2?”

Frankly, it’s a tough one writing this or simply updating our Dota 2 hall of fame. Since most Dota 2 players have practically just gotten back to LAN tournaments recently, it’s too early to call any Dota 2 carry players the best across all regions. Regardless, this list is based on various criteria, such as consistency, big plays, and of course, what they achieved in the Dota Pro Circuit 2021 (DPC 2021).

Unlike other esports, such as CS:GO, Dota does not have an official top 10 or top 20 to celebrate the best Dota 2 players in the world. Nevertheless, people still wonder who the best player in Dota 2 is and want to know what to expect in a tournament. Much like in football, basketball or any other team sport, Dota 2 relies heavily not just on a good strategy, but also on exceptional individuals who bring their unique skillset to the table. With that in mind, here’s a list of the best Dota 2 players for the carry role. This top was made in light of the results in 2020 and early 2021.

Emo from Invictus Gaming

At age 20, Zhou “Emo” Yi  is already one of the best carry role players on the planet. As desperate times call for desperate plays, Emo stepped in for Invictus Gaming as his flight-or-fight reflexes kicked in.

During the Singapore Major grand finals versus Evil Geniuses, Invictus Gaming was one game away from losing to the North American giant. That was when Emo decided to pull a trick out of his magician’s hat, taunts. After winning a team fight despite being 23,000 gold behind, Emo would casually send the question mark sign to EG. As the match became spicier, the adrenaline rush transformed Emo into a one-man army, shutting down EG’s formation.

Zhou “Emo” Yi

Eventually, EG had enough of the clown fiesta they had and actually let iG got their comeback run at the Singapore Major. Emo went on do the same shenanigans in his domestic DPC Dota 2 Season 2 and is once again looking to contest the world at WePlay AniMajor. The team has also secured an invite to TI10, so expect to see Emo at the big season finale in August as well.

Abed from Evil Geniuses

Another Asian talent that has garnered quite the attention is “Abed” Azel L. Yusop. Hailing from the rigorous region of SE Asia, Abed was scouted out by EG to become their mid-player earlier last year. Since then, the NA scene had to deal with a massive threat in the form of mid-lane Storm Spirit and Puck. Abed is proficient at utilizing elusive heroes such as the ones mentioned, that he often causes havoc in the enemy’s base alone. When the match seems one-sided, Abed will test his limits by chasing his opponents deep into their base, just to prove a point. He is the best Dota 2 carry player, and he wants them to call GG immediately.

Abed Azel L. Yusop

While rumours of his dominance in NA leagues spread, Abed has no issue delivering the same performance in majors. Notably, the Singapore Major was a stage for him to showcase his skills. EG is also the top team in DPC 2021 rankings, vastly contributed by the young prodigy, Abed.

Nightfall from Virtus.pro

Virtus.pro, one of the biggest powerhouses in the CIS region. It’s essential to start off with the team background this time around because VP’s recent performance doesn’t do Egor “Nightfall” Grigorenko justice. It was just a year ago when VP was at its breaking point, they were having frequent roster shuffles, and nothing seems to be on par with their glory days.

Eventually, Nightfall was delegated to VP’s sister team, VP.Prodigy instead. Here, he built a brand name for himself along with his underdog teammates, surpassing what VP could achieve last season. Hence, Nightfall’s squad was promoted to the main squad in preparation for the DPC 2021.

Egor “Nightfall” Grigorenko

Feared in the CIS region, Nightfall’s relentless aggression with his carry heroes makes him a terrifying opponent to go up against. He has proven to be able to assert dominance as a carry player, even without any significant plays. He’s the reason why VP is currently second place in the DPC 2021 rankings, and for that, he deserves to be called Virtus.pro’s savior.

Arteezy from Evil Geniuses

Representing the NA Dota scene, Artour “Arteezy” Babaev might just be NA’s best carry to date. While Arteezy may not be the flashiest player around, he makes up for it by playing consistently as Evil Geniuses’ position 1 carry.

That said, he certainly can flex his skills when the situation calls for it. A recent play at the BTS Pro Series Season 2: Americas, showcased Arteezy’s consecutive barrage of skills and items to wipe out the opponent’s entire squad. Since 2014 he has not missed a single TI and has played in countless majors and large-scale Dota 2 competitions.

Artour Babaev

Artour is truly a veteran of the NA scene, but what makes him stand out is his consistency in performance throughout all these years. Thus, earning him the title as one of the best Dota 2 player of 2021.

Matumbaman from Team Secret

Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen’s consistent performance has really gone under the radar for the most part. Despite Team Secret’s decent run in Singapore Major, their achievement was easily overlooked by other teams in the spotlight.

Yet, coming from a downhill career after Team Liquid kicked the lather prior to the International 2019, Matumbaman has definitely reflected on himself. Team Secret was his proving ground to his fans and former teammates that he wasn’t a deadweight they thought. As he was able to outshine his rivals with the support of Team Secret’s talented bunch.

Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen

With Matumbaman regaining his confidence, the DPC majors and ultimately, the International 10 will be his next destination to prove his worth once more. Furthermore, their 2020 first-place finishes speak for themselves. Team Secret bagged seven championship titles in their pocket, making them the top choice in Dota 2 betting.

Other Worthy Candidates

Unfortunately, it pains us to only have 5 Dota 2 best carry player here, but the following players might just catch up in the upcoming list:

Ame from PSG.LGD

Sporting a second runner-up victory at the Singapore Major, Wang “Ame” Chunyu was the last founding member of the PSG.LGD roster that won two runner-up wins in recent Internationals. Ame is well-known for his versatile hero pool but also decision-making. Hence, these traits enable him to be none the wiser as a carry player.

miCKe from Team Liquid

We can’t deny that Michael “miCKe” Vu and Team Liquid have their moments throughout the 2020-2021 season. From their incredible lower bracket run in ESL One Germany 2020 to making it into WePlay AniMajor recently. As far as European powerhouses go, miCKe and his team are ones that will always be featured for good reasons.

Maybe from PSG.LGD

We ranked Anathan “ana” Pham so low in this list this time around solely because he isn’t quite up to par for the time. Having only returned to OG after a year’s break, it was rather blatantly obvious team OG still needs more time to practice. That said, we are reassuringly awaiting ana’s showing at the International 10 qualifiers as the championship draws closer.

After all, in a game of Dota 2, it’s anybody’s game to snatch victories. And by that, we meant the WePlay AniMajor 2021 and TI10.

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