The International 2021 Will Feature Players Over the Age of Thirty

The International Dota 2 Championship will, for the first time, feature players who are over 30 years old. Three legends from the first TI (The International) will be participating: Zhang “LaNm” Zhicheng, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, and Daryl “iceiceice” Koh Pei Xiang. We can assure you that these “veterans” haven’t lost their form over the past ten years.

Zhang “LaNm” Zhicheng

LaNm is a support player from China who played for EHOME. He is 31 years old. In The International 2011, his team reached the finals but lost to Natus Vincere from Ukraine, taking the second place. LaNm retired as a professional player after that, but his team lost their support player, so he had to return. TI 2021 marks LaNm’s ninth appearance at The International.

After winning the 2013 WPC ACE tournament, he, like many Chinese players of his age, announced his retirement. He returned in 2017, but this time as a coach. However, he didn’t find great success as a coach, so after the seventh International, the renowned support player returned to active competition. Later, he switched back to coaching and then to playing in a team again. The team he formed, LaNmAster, performed exceptionally well in i-League 2021 Season 1, securing the first place.

In the summer of 2015, Zhang Zhicheng became a father. His daughter was born in July, a fact even Dota 2’s official Twitter account celebrated. LaNm became the first father in Chinese Dota 2.

Clement “Puppey” Ivanov

Puppey is a true legend. Does he even need an introduction? He was the winner of the first International as part of Na’Vi, and he achieved podium finishes in the following two TIs. He also has countless victories in various Dota tournaments. Clement is the only esports athlete to have participated in every edition of The International, although his former teammate KuroKy shares that distinction.

However, it’s been a while since Clement managed to repeat the triumph of the first or even the third TI. To be fair, his team consistently performs well throughout the year in various tournaments, but they often disappoint fans during The International. Nevertheless, at the eighth and ninth TIs, Team Secret finished sixth and fourth, respectively. So, it’s too early to write off Team Secret just yet.

Puppey’s main quality is his unprecedented stubbornness. He’s willing to give the opponent the best hero just to understand how to beat it. While he has become more prudent with age, some of his hero picks still surprise people. In some moments, his bold moves succeed, and everyone considers him a genius, but sometimes it all goes against Clement. However, the best heroes aren’t named that way for nothing; they help opponents easily defeat Puppey.

Daryl “iceiceice” Koh Pei Xiang

The legend of Singaporean Dota 2 started his esports career in the original Dota, often referred to as “Dota 1.” Although, according to his own statements, he participated in several competitions in other games besides Dota. He decided to focus specifically on Dota 2 after the first The International in 2011. He spent several years in Asia and then joined Team DK. The roster of that time was legendary, including iceiceice, BurNing, and LaNm. Together, they finished in fourth place at the third The International.

After that, iceiceice returned to Southeast Asia, showing inconsistent results on the global stage. However, last year, Daryl managed to become a finalist twice in a Major, as a member of the Evil Geniuses team. Today, EG is considered the favorite for the upcoming International. The good form and exciting gameplay of EG can largely be attributed to iceiceice, who keeps the team in the spotlight with his “antics.”

Many say that esports athletes have no place in professional competition after the age of thirty. However, we are confident that this threshold has yet to be found. Esports is still a relatively young field, and the majority of players who participated in the first international tournament in 2011 are not yet 30 years old. Moreover, comparing the physical demands on a gymnast, footballer, and esports athlete would be somewhat naive. The examples provided in this article show that age and family are not obstacles to a brilliant esports career.