Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi is everything his name suggests – a complete miracle in his ability to play the way he does.
Becoming the first to reach a prestigious goal easily makes you one of the best in the game. For Miracle-, his claim to fame is becoming the first player to reach 9,000 Matchmaking Rating (MMR) in Dota 2. This was back when accumulating MMR was harder than it is today.
But MMR is only one part of the puzzle. From pubstomping to competitive gaming, Miracle- is considered to be one of the best. He is one of Dota 2's world champions, having won The International (TI) in 2017 with Team Liquid.
Up to now, Miracle- is still playing at a high level of play. And at the age of 23, he's the 7th highest-earning professional player in esports. Here, we talk about the young prodigy's wealth, and the potential earnings he may still get in his bright future.
Miracle-‘s net worth in 2020: $5 million
There was a time when Miracle-, born on June 20, 1997 to Jordanian and Polish parents, was the second highest-earning esports athlete in the world. He reached near the pinnacle of the esports money mountain back in 2017, when his team won TI7, then the biggest tournament in esports in terms of prize pool. His team won a little less than $11 million, with Miracle- taking home a little over $2 million.
Prior to winning TI7, Miracle- also won multiple major championships with his former team, OG. This, on top of a second-place finish in TI9 in 2019, puts Miracle's net worth to around $5 million.
From Pubstar to Superstar
Before entering the world of professional Dota 2, Miracle- was a “pubstar”, a talented player who plays well in casual, non-professional matches. He was scouted from public matches by Balkan Bears, which he joined in 2015. However, he didn't last that long. He would later leave Balkan Bears to join OG (then named (monkey) Business), with top-earner Johan “N0tail” Sundstein.
As a pubstar, Miracle- was well-known for being one of the few players to reach the top of the European leaderboards having no professional experience. Even as he joined the competitive scene, he still continued playing public matches, earning countless wins to his name. Later, he would become the first player to reach 9,000 MMR, the game's ranking score. Last June, Miracle- achieved 10,000 MMR, being one of only two dozen players to ever achieved that amount of ranking points.
A well-decorated arena general
Inside the arena, Miracle- is considered as one of the most talented players in the world. When he broke out of the professional scene, Miracle- won the eSports Rookie of the Year by the eSports Industry Awards in 2016. His work with OG made the team a feared five-man-squad in Dota 2, as they won major tournament after major tournament. But when the team lost early in TI6 against an underdog from the Philippines, OG disbanded.
It might have been the best decision for him, as he would go on to win TI7 with his new team, Team Liquid. However, in the long term, it would be OG who will make more in the long-term. OG would win TI8, and Miracle- got the chance to face his former team in the Grand Finals of TI9, where he lost against them. Still, the second-place finish in TI9 net the team close to $4.5 million.
Miracle- also won the Esports PC Player of the Year at the 2017 Esports Industry Awards, shortly after his team became TI champions. Known for his explosive gameplay and ability to carry teams out of sticky situations, he averaged the most kills in TI6 and TI8 (interestingly, he didn't achieve the same feat when his team won TI7.
The Future for Miracle-
After TI9, Team Liquid left the esports organization to form their own team – Team Nigma. Founded and owned by the players, Miracle- shares the team and the organization with his teammates, Kuro Salehi “KuroKy” Takhasomi, Maroun “GH” Merhej, Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov, and Aliwi “w33” Omar.
Recently, Team Nigma is still a formidable team, but various factors have prevented them from being on top of the European region. Primarily, Team Secret is just so dominant right now, which prevents other teams in Europe from winning tournaments with them around.
Team Nigma, however, remains to be a mainstay in the region's major tournaments. They are still a name to be feared. But whether or not Team Nigma can reclaim their former glory and win another TI – that's something the team still needs to prove.
As the team's captain, KuroKy, said in a blog post, after winning TI7:
“In the days afterwards, I sat at home, trying to figure out what’s next. Eventually I turned my obsession towards another goal: Winning the next International.”
When they failed winning TI8, the team continued to persevere, with the intent of becoming the second two-time TI champions. As long as Team Nigma stays together, they can still fulfill that lifelong dream. But as for Miracle-, it might only be a matter of time.
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