Tour 2 of the 2021-2022 DPC is now on, and we have the opportunity to watch the best European teams in action once again.
With that being said, only matches in Western Europe take place because of Valve’s decision. As you know, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine caused a lot of problems all over the world, including in eSports. Hence, Valve decided to postpone the Eastern European Division I and II matches for the future.
Speaking of the future, the professional Dota 2 scene changed significantly in the last year. Many top-tier teams decided to change their roster by adding new, young, and inexperienced players. One of the best examples is OG because the two-time TI winners changed their roster from the ground up.
The fact that so many new players started competing means that some of them already made a name for themselves in their respective lanes. The lane that most people are looking at while playing is mid, which probably doesn’t come as a surprise. We’ve already covered some of the best heroes for this’s position right now, so we will now focus on the players themselves. Here are five of the hottest midders in Europe that everyone looks up to.
Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov
The first player on our list is bzm, OG’s new mid laner that joined the team a couple of months ago. OGs scouts noticed the player, and a few months later, he became a part of the most successful team in Dota 2.
Needless to say, bzm has a lot of pressure on his shoulders because he needs to fill in the role of Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen. Although this is easier said than done, the 16-year-old Bulgarian Dota 2 prodigy is doing extremely well.
People often consider him to be OG’s leader and the player that dictates this team’s tempo. Some Dota 2 analysts even said that they believe bzm is the world’s best Invoker player right now. He excels with this hero, but the young player is also amazing with Templar Assassin, Storm Spirit, and Ember Spirit. No wonder, he recently became the player with the highest MMR in Europe.
OG won their first important match against Nigma Galaxy in Division I, which puts them in a good position. That said, bzm and co. have a long way to go until they secure a slot for the Major.
Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek
Since the current TI winner is technically from Europe, we also have to include their world-class mid laner called TORONTOKYO. The Russian start shocked the world at TI 10 with his critical decision-making. Thanks to his skills with heroes like Invoker and Storm Spirit, he became one of the most respected players in the industry.
Some people expected Team Spirit to be affected by the TI-winning curse and disband or start losing shortly after the event. However, the CIS monsters showed the world that they were different. With little to no effort, TORONTOKYO led his team to victory in Tour 1 and left no doubts he is the best in his region.
Sadly, the armed conflict in Ukraine does not allow us to watch Khertek and his colleagues in action yet. Needless to say, Team Spirit is the heavy favorite in Easter Europe’s Division I, so we expect the team to dominate.
Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi
Nigma Galaxy was one of the biggest disappointments in Tour 1. Despite having one of the best and oldest rosters (the team has been together for 5+ years now), it failed to impress. Fortunately, Miracle and the rest showed their prowess during the GAMERS GALAXY event in Dubai. Everyone from Nigma played well there, but Miracle-was on another level with this world-class Invoker plays.
Amer has always been one of the best professional players in Dota 2. Ever since he became a part of OG in 2015, he quickly rose to the top. He was one of the highest MMR players at one time and most people’s favorite midder. After winning numerous Majors and other smaller trophies, Amer achieved his ultimate goal—to win The International. This happened in 2017.
Even though Miracle is not as popular as before, he continues to be one of the strongest mid laners in Europe. This means it is just a matter of time before his team shows what it is capable of.
Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan
The fourth player that deserves a spot here is 21 years old Czech player BOOM. Who was a part of several notable teams over the years, such as Hippomaniacs and Vikin.gg. However, he shines more after he came a part of Team Tickles in late 2021.
No one expected the newly-formed team to show its prowess during Tour 1. But TT did the impossible. After winning numerous vital matches, the team secured a slot for the Regional Qualifiers, where it defeated everyone and won Tour 1 in Western Europe.
BOOM is a player that loves to utilize greedy cores, such as Invoker and Storm Spirit. However, he is also versatile and can use a wide range of heroes. This makes him one of the most unpredictable mid laners in Europe.
Michael “miCKe” Vu
The ex-HoN player was a part of numerous professional Dota 2 teams before becoming a part of Team Liquid. He is mostly famous for his role in Alliance, where he helped the team achieve impressive results.
MiCKe’s first year at Team Liquid was not as successful as he wanted it to be because the team was unable to win any notable tournaments. Fortunately, it did several roster changes, and after the addition of Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen, TL started winning a lot more. The fact that the Finnish player became a part of TL forced miCKe to move to the mid lane (he used to be the team’s carry). It seems like this was a good decision because TL ripped through their competitors during Tour 1 and almost won the Regional Finals.
Danil “gpk” Skutin
As a part of the 12,000 MMR club, gpk is one of the mid laners in Eastern Europe that others look up to. The 20-year-old player was considered one of the best in his region, especially when he was a part of Gamblit Esports.
After spending a little over a year there, he made a move to VP.Prodigy. Sadly, VP’s “side project” did not work as planned, which is why gpk was moved into VP’s main roster following the drastic roster changes that took place after TI 9.
Even though Virtus.Pro is yet to defeat the powerful Team Spirit, it reached the final in the Regional Qualifiers last time. Gpk had a massive role in the team’s success because his never-ending strive for improvement makes him one of the most dangerous midders to go up against. Hopefully, gpk and his teammates would be able to defeat the powerful reigning TI champions and reclaim the throne that belongs to them.