How to Join a Pro Team and Attend The International From Zero

What’s the Dota 2 player’s dream? Everyone aims to visit and win The International. It’s the biggest Dota 2 event, which gives its participants fame, money, and self-satisfaction. Let’s see what it takes to become The International participant.

You Need a Range of Qualities

Before you join a pro team, you need some specific qualities. Some of them are unnecessary. But as Iceberg (inactive pro player) states, they will drastically help you.

Meta Adaptability

Teams don’t like one-trick ponies. What will you do if the upcoming patch weakens your only mains? Or if the enemy bans them?

That’s why pro teams prefer candidates capable of playing 10+ characters in their roles. But the bigger a player’s pool, the better. It makes the drafting phase much easier for the team.

Communication

Dota 2 is a team game. If you can’t synergize with your teammates, you’ll lose to the team that can. So, a player must understand and give commands.

And it’s not just about in-game. A team is also constantly discussing each others’ mistakes. It’s for improvement, and your ability to take the critique will help with that.

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But there’s more. Good communication will help you get into the team. If you’re a friendly player with lots of Dota 2 connections, the chances are you’ll be a favorable team draft.

Negotiations

If the player wants optimal conditions in a team, he must negotiate. It’s like at a job. The player’s task is to explain his capabilities and needs to the team manager. Then, he listens to the requirements. And finally, he sells what he has to fill as many requirements as possible.

Capability of Presenting Yourself

Teams see players as skilled and knowledgeable professionals, which you must present. Do it not only during probation. Remember that team managers can learn your ranked performance to examine your consistency.

Player Rank

Before implementing these 4 points, you must become a skillful player. It takes time. Often, you need at least 5,000+ hours in Dota 2 matches to become capable.

But hours don’t always represent skill. Team managers look at player’s ladder positions and how they withstand them. You won’t be a drafting priority if you have even 15,000 hours but a low match-making rank.

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This evaluation can differ based on your role. Usually, teams demand the highest MMR from midlaners and carry players. For supports and semi-supports, rank is less significant.

What Happens When a Player Joins a Team?

This stage depends on how good your team is. However, most athletes will start their grind at low-tier regional events. These include:

European Pro League;

Kobolds Rave;
Forsaken League;
Moon Studio Miso Soup;
Besture Cup, and tens of other competitions.

Even though such events aren’t famous for betting, they’re very profitable. It’s because they’re unexpected. So, if you want to raise easy cash, find a proper Dota 2 betting site and bet on Tier 3 and Tier 4 competitions.

Now, back to the eSports roadmap. If the player’s team shows promising results in low-tier events, other organizations will notice them. They’ll get invitations to more serious competitions.

That way, a player and a team build a reputation that will eventually lead them to the international. But an interesting thing is it might not be the most desirable event in 2024. In 2023, Riyadh Masters was ahead of The International. So, things can change soon, and The International won’t be the most aspirational event.

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Career After The International

Once the player has become The International participant, his game changes. Now, he’s more recognizable. It opens many possibilities.

For example, the player can now more easily join a stronger team, especially if he outskills his teammates. Or, he can go a different route. If a player has been prominent during The International, it can kickstart his streaming or YouTube career.