Gaimin Gladiators In Kuala Lumpur Finals – Are They Back on Top?

ESL One Kuala Lumpur is the first tournament in the new Dota 2 pro structure. It’s also proven that despite some missteps, Gaimin Gladiators really do deserve their reputation as one of, if not the best Dota 2 team in the world.

After a disappointing end to the 2023 season that saw them place 2nd at The International, Gaimin have been back for blood in Malaysia. A number of factors are at play here but now that they have knocked Azure Ray down to the lower bracket semi finals, GG are once again in the Grand Finals.

Are Gaimin Gladiators Back on Top?

It took a little time for them to warm up for this tournament. After day 1, there was some speculation that there was a power void left behind by Team Spirit’s absence. Spirit have been a thorn in the side of GG since Riyadh Masters 2023 but it’s worth remembering that they do tend to gear up towards TI whereas GG performed consistently throughout the year. In Kuala Lumpur, GG has since gone from strength to strength.

This team not only had the most impressive win streak in Dota history in 2023, but they did it without touching the lower bracket in almost every tournament. It’s rare for history to repeat itself in Dota, no team stays on top for very long but it seems the Gladiators are here to change that.

Azure Ray Fall in the UB Semi Finals

Game 1 of this UB semi finals was one of the most dominant and ruthless performances of the tournament. From team wiping Azure at 7 minutes to diving T3s at 15 minutes, GG really proved they are a team to reckon with. Not that we didn’t already know that.

Game 2 wasn’t much better for the Chinese team. At 9 minutes, there was a 5K gold lead for Gaimin Gladiators. While consistently fighting around the Radiant T1, there was nothing Azure could do to hold the fort. With a Rubick and a stolen Exorcism on their side, GG really picked up the speed of their sieges.

Will Team Liquid Make The Finals?

The Dota Majors in 2023 were stuck in Groundhog Day. Time after time, Team Liquid fell to Gaimin Gladiators in the grand finals. But they still have a chance at redemption. If they can take out Betboom later today and then take down Azure, we’ll have yet another match up.

On a brand new patch with a brand new meta, it’s adaptability vs. adaptability at Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps GG has an advantage in that they had yesterday off to study and understand the patch while Liquid were fighting for their lives in the lower bracket. But with more games played at this tournament on the new patch, perhaps Liquid will find their groove and use stand in Saberlight to their advantage.

Dota is so unpredictable it’s hard to call. We’re sure we’re not the only ones hoping that Liquid will finally get their redemption in the Kuala Lumpur Grand Finals.