By the time the tenth International Dota 2 Championship rolls around, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov will be the only remaining player to have attended them all. This follows after Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi's elimination from TI10 Western European Qualifiers at the hands of OG.
Puppey's storied career in Dota 2 began with Natus Vincere with the first international. They brought home the aegis undefeated and started a legacy. He and Na'Vi made it to the grand finals of the next two Internationals. However, they were unfortunately unable to clinch the championship. By the time of TI4 however, Na'Vi was no longer the powerhouse it once was. Cloud9 eliminated them from the tournament at 7th-8th place. Puppey then moved on to Team Secret, an organization he founded on his own.
This iteration of Team Secret was a force to be reckoned with in the months leading up to TI5. Unfortunately, they fell off TI5 at seventh place. 2016 was a rough year for Team Secret, finishing last at both The Manila Major and TI6. The following year was also quite a struggle. The team only finished 9th-12th at TI7. 2018 marked an uptick for the team, with them taking home first place at multiple tournaments and finishing at 5th-6th at The International. Team Secret posted remarkable results in 2019-2020, making them a formidable force as we get closer to The International 10. Thanks to these favorable results in the Dota Pro Circuit, Team Secret secured their slot to TI10.
Fans have already reacted to the news with their own takes:
puppey only gets to attend every TI because they haven’t found anyone tall enough to replace him
— hoxie (@hoxieloxie) July 10, 2021
Puppey continues to forge a legacy in Dota 2 – he was the first player to win two Valve events. Most impressively, he has played in 8 Major Grand Finals and 3 International Finals. This is a record unmatched by any other player.
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