Misha provided a recap of the recent 1win Essence II Dota 2 tournament

If you look at his official stats, he’s incredibly strong at micro. He reminds me of GH in his prime back in 2016: he’s also in the top 10 of the rankings, and he also plays a narrow hero pool—Magnus, one of the best heroes, and Keeper of the Light. So he’s literally just like GH. And he really plays well. How could this not remind you of Marun? And he’s at a very interesting stage in his career right now, because I’m sure he’s about to break out and will join a top team right after The International.

Liquid is having a terrible season. Ace is playing absolutely horribly. And he’s a liability—everyone can see that. He really isn’t up to par. And it’s as if, you know, they’ve just given up on their ambitions to win The International. They’ve just accepted that they’re just playing out the season.

To be honest, I was shocked by the high level of Dota 2 at this tournament leading up to The International. Usually, these games are treated like qualifiers, but here, it seems like Mickey really took it personally after ATF beat him, and Team Liquid played just like the prime Liquid at their best. It was really fun to watch. In my fantasy leagues, they’re definitely making it through the Swiss stage at The International. As for Team Falcons and BetBoom Team, I’m starting to have my doubts.