Best Dota 2 Players for the Carry Role

Unlike other esports, such as CS:GO, Dota does not have an official top 10 or top 20 to celebrate the best Dota 2 players in the world. And yet, people still wonder who the best player in Dota 2 is and want to know what to expect when starting to watch a tournament.

Much like in football, basketball or any other team sport, Dota 2 heavily relies not just on a good strategy, but also on exceptional individuals who bring their unique set of skills to the table and win games by outplaying the opposition. And with that in mind, here’s a list of the best Dota 2 players for the carry role. This top was made in light of the results of 2019.

Eurus from Vici Gaming

Eurus is without a doubt one of the best carry players in the world. His performances for Vici Gaming have brought the team a lot of titles and top results in 2019, which was the best year in their history.

© ONE Esports

Some of the highlights include:

• 1^st place at StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor Season 1
• 1^st place at DreamLeague Season 11 (Major)
• 1^st place at EPICENTER Major 2019
• 5^th – 6^th place at The International 2019
• 2^nd place at MDL Chengdu Major
• 1^st place at ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore

At the time of this writing, Vici Gaming is preparing to compete in the Upper Bracket Finals of DreamLeague Season 13 and has practically secured a top 3 finish at yet another Major.

Given the importance of the carry role within a lineup, Eurus’ contribution to his team’s success is undeniable. Of course, his skills and the fact that he is possibly the best player of Dota 2 for 2019 can also be deduced from his personal achievements. Previously known as Paparazi, Eurus competed in multiple 1v1 esports tournaments and proved his worth against the best players in the world. He was also the first player to reach 8000 MMR on a Chinese server, back in January 2016.

ana from OG

This Australian player is an absolute legend at this point. He’s also someone we don’t get to see very often, simply because OG likes to take a relaxed and unconventional approach to how they compete at the professional level. Both in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons they were almost non-existent until The International. And when it was time for the big event of the year, they simply demolished everyone. Each time they went in as an underdog and each time they quickly proved to have superior skills, tactics and strategies. Not to mention their formidable attitude in the face of defeat.

© Steve Andreou

With ana as their carry, OG became the first team in the history of Dota to win two TIs. And not only that, but they also did it in consecutive years. Of course, when big titles are won, the credit goes to the whole team. And you might say that Ceb or any other of the players should get just as much credit as ana. And in a way that’s true. But if you look at where OG was before ana and where they got after they brought him back, it’s clear as daylight that his contribution was the most vital one.

Another argument in favor of this statement is his game-saving and game-winning decisions. From selling the right item at a critical time to playing an unconventional hero like IO in the carry role and crushing the game with it, ana’s in-game performance can be analyzed and praised all day.

So, in spite of not being in the spotlight throughout the year, ana is entirely worthy of being mentioned on this shortlist of the best Dota 2 players of 2019.

Miracle- from Nigma (former Team Liquid)

In spite of having a rough start with his team in the 2019–2020 season, Miracle- was instrumental in Liquid’s success in 2019. His former team finished 2^nd in two Dota Pro Circuit Majors (MDL Disneyland Paris Major and EPICENTER Major), 1^st at MDL Macau 2019 and 2^nd at The International 2019.

© Team Liquid

Just like in ana’s case, Miracle- cannot possibly get all the credit for these results. Especially when his captain is KuroKy (3 times TI finalist) and all of his other teammates are world-class players. But even under these conditions, his skills in the carry role have been praised ever since he started playing professionally. Whether it’s Anti-Mage, Terrorblade, Morphling, Sven or Juggernaut, Miracle- plays his role with godlike precision. From his farming patterns to his decision-making during team fights, everything is perfect. And that’s why he’s here, on this top 3 list of the best Dota 2 players in the world.

On a side note, Miracle- was the first player in the history of the game to surpass the 9000 MMR barrier. This happened on May 11^th, 2016. To this day, he has remained near the top of the leaderboards and continues to impress both in pubs as well as in pro games.

Other Worthy Candidates

When putting together a top 3 of the best Dota 2 players for the carry role, it’s unavoidable that some of the big names will be missing. Here’s a list of the other noteworthy candidates who did not make the list:

Arteezy from Evil Geniuses

One of the most famous Dota 2 streamers and carry players in the world, Arteezy has been competing for Evil Geniuses for several years, with varying degrees of success. He seems to be cursed to always finish 3^rd but his performances and skills are nothing short of exceptional.

Nisha from Team Secret

Nisha is Puppey’s latest discovery and his contribution to Secret’s dominance in 2019 was immense. At just 19, this Polish player has already made a name for himself and is now a pillar of one of the best teams in the game.