The first stage of DreamLeague Season 26 in Dota 2 is gradually approaching its conclusion. Following every match, even with strong dedication, is practically impossible. Therefore, we`ve compiled four intriguing stories you might have overlooked.
Nigma Galaxy is currently navigating the first group stage with impressive confidence, even with a stand-in. What`s most encouraging is not just SumaiL and company`s solid gameplay, but also the unique style they`re showcasing. The team has brought back heroes like offlane Vengeful Spirit (rarely picked lately) and Dawnbreaker. Crucially, they continue to place faith in their signature, practiced combination that other teams have long forgotten: Marci + Io.
This strategy has existed for quite some time and can occasionally be found in matchmaking, but it`s almost entirely ignored on the professional stage. Nigma, however, has always favored the Marci + Io combination and hasn`t hesitated to use it regardless of the prevailing meta. True to form, they`ve drafted this duo twice so far this season, securing comfortable victories both times.
Marci + Io have consistently stood out with a powerful laning phase, featuring virtually infinite resource regeneration. In their match against OG LATAM, the opponents even managed to survive the laning stage, but at a certain point, a Marci empowered by Io simply went hunting and started eliminating everything that moved. In one sequence, Ghost first killed an enemy core, then participated in a rather chaotic teamfight, and finally, using Io`s ultimate, Relocated across the map to take down another OG core hero. All of this occurred in less than a minute.
Nigma thrives on this fast tempo with a high volume of kills, and Marci + Io are perfectly suited for this playstyle.
Mars has been an infrequent guest at tournaments recently. The hero does make appearances occasionally, but he can`t boast good statistics. Across the previous two events, he was picked ten times and won only twice.
Yet, for some reason, participants at DreamLeague S26 decided that the problem wasn`t with Mars himself but something else, prompting them to experiment with the hero. If you disregard a single win by ATF against Talon in a game that lasted only 22 minutes, Mars`s performance at the championship isn`t just questionable; it`s dismal.
Do we really need further confirmation that Mars is, to put it mildly, not a meta-defining hero right now? Interestingly, some South American teams attempted to play him in the midlane, recalling his strength in 2022, but the outcome was just as disappointing. We`ll be watching to see if anyone else is willing to try and prove that Mars isn`t merely a punching bag who suffers from the laning stage onward.
Edge cannot truly boast about strong results at the championship; the team is currently last in their group and is unlikely to secure a playoff spot. However, the team did present us with something interesting: carry Luna, a hero largely forgotten in the current reality.
Yéremi Carry Paúcar Arroyo, known as payk, decided not just to remember the hero, but to rethink her entirely. In their match against AVULUS, he showcased a `magic` Luna build that, in a 70-minute game, barely used auto-attacks, instead relying heavily on her ultimate.
Immediately after core items like Manta Style and BKB, the Edge carry built an Aghanim`s Scepter, and then complemented it with a Refresher Orb. A similar build was sometimes seen on position 4 Luna a couple of years ago, but seeing a carry opt for it is a rare occurrence.
It was certainly amusing to watch Luna secure kills from a screen and a half away, keeping enemy heroes permanently under control…
…But in teamfights against BKB, Pipe, and Eul`s Scepter, it proved utterly ineffective. Ultimately, the `magic` Luna, despite achieving a decent KDA, still lost the game. So, while we appreciate payk`s fun build, we don`t recommend replicating it.
Chaos Knight is one of those heroes that the professional community has largely ignored in recent months. At DreamLeague S26, BetBoom Team decided to bring him back into the meta, but… as a support! Save- has played the hero twice, and Kataomi picked him once.
Overall, one can observe that teams have started gravitating towards melee supports again, leading to more frequent appearances of Tusk and Clockwerk. But Chaos Knight… that is truly something new.
Save-, for example, picked him twice in lane alongside Dark Seer. The concept is straightforward: Chaos Knight possesses tremendous movement speed, making it relatively easy for him to perform utility tasks like creep pulling, blocking jungle camps, stacking, and other support duties. Most importantly, under Ion Shell, the hero becomes genuinely threatening: not only is he incredibly difficult to escape from at early levels, but he also has his own reliable crowd control to catch enemy supports. And BetBoom Team`s Chaos Knight remains undefeated.
It`s intriguing that Save- utilized different aspects of the hero in his two matches:
If BetBoom Team continues to win with the hero, his emergence as a standard support in matchmaking is inevitable, so be vigilant.