You don’t always need a star player to bag the Aegis of Champions home. While fans saw rookies and new blood rise to the occasion to emerge as world champions over the years, sometimes dedication and hard work triumph.
The professional Dota 2 scene rejected 27-years-old Sneyking on multiple occasions over the course of his career. EternaLEnVy highlighted the subject on a recent stream and expressed his admiration for the TI champion’s dedication.
“He’s one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met,” EternaLEnVy said. “Like the guy gets kicked from the same team several times and rejoins them with no ego. He even got kicked from PotM Bottom, he almost got kicked from every team he’s been in, all the time, and kept up the hard work.”
A quick look at Sneyking’s Liquipedia page showcases that he’s been a part of 26 teams in the last 10 years, meaning the veteran switched teams at least two times a year, a situation that could break a player’s will to continue. As EternaLEnVy mentioned, most of these roster moves weren’t made voluntarily. Sneyking always found himself on the road again after brief stints. But the kicks and departures never caused Sneyking to hold a grudge, as there were times the player went back to playing for teams who kicked him only a month prior.
Despite constant setbacks, Sneyking never lost his motivation and became the first American player to win a TI after seven years at the age of 27 and a half, making him the oldest player to win a TI.
Sneyking is the embodiment of the saying, “if at first, you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.” While his journey may look like he may have reached the summit close to the end of his career, the TI11 win also feels like a new beginning for the NA veteran. He’s one of the last players of his Dota 2 generation from NA, and he may just decide to go for that second title like OG did in 2019.
