Team Spirit Receive Their TI12 Championship Rings

Dota 2

September 3, 2024

Michael Hassall

Team Spirit, champions of The International 2023 (TI12) have today received their TI12 Championship rings in a small ceremony, according to posts by Valve representatives and on the team’s social media.

Early on Sep. 3, Team Spirit posted pictures on its Instagram showing off the newly received rings. These posts were joined by official pictures from Valve later in the day. Adorned with deep blue trappings, covered in diamonds, and with a stylized stained glass logo in the center, the Team Spirit 2023 championship ring is definitely something that’s incredibly unique.

Image Credit: Valve

Championship rings have been a staple for TI since the first edition. Seemingly inspired by North American sporting tradition, each year since 2011 Valve has awarded championship rings to the winners of The International.

Team Spirit soared to championship victory in 2023 after a slightly disappointing season. The team clashed with Gaimin Gladiators in the finals, defeating a stack that had won all major events that season.

Image Credit: Valve

With the victory Team Spirit became just the second team in professional Dota 2 history to lift the Aegis. Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov, Myroslav “Mira” Kolpakov, and Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov joined the exclusive ranks of players who had lifted the Aegis twice, while Denis “Larl” Sigitov became a first-time TI-winner last year.

Team Spirit first lifted the Aegis in 2021, claiming victory in Romania during a crowd-less TI. Even with this victory, there was a sense that Spirit had achieved their win under favorable conditions, without a crowd and the gravitas that other teams had faced. They quelled all doubts with their second victory.

Now the squad looks to TI13, where they’re once again ranked one of the top teams in the tournament. Ahead of them, TI12 rivals Gaimin Gladiators, who’ve been on a hot streak as of late, and the dominant Team Falcons.

With their rings in hand, perhaps Team Spirit can dig deep and become the first ever three-time TI champions at The International 2024.