B8 - Ukraine — Dota 2 team

If you ask eSports connoisseurs what exactly made the B8 roster from Dota 2 famous, they will come to mind (oh, wonder!) not the solid victories of this team, but the anti-record that it managed to achieve. Still! They became the first (and, at the same time, the last) who managed to lose 24 cards in a row. And all the more surprising, because the team has many strong points, several solid victories on the account and huge ambitions for the future. And what else is known about B8?

B8: history and modernity

The founder of the team was Daniil "Dendi" Ishutin - a player with a solid past who became one of the most famous esports players in the Dota 2 universe while working with another leader of the top ratings, Natus Vincere (it was thanks to him that the team was able to break the bank during The International 2011 ). In 2020, after the end of many years of cooperation with Na'Vi, "Dendi" decided to create its own Ukrainian Dota 2 club, which would quickly enter the top lists of eSports teams in the world. To implement this ambitious plan, he not only assembled a team of talented athletes, but also a solid group of fans on social networks and streaming platforms, largely due to his popularity

B8 launched quite successfully. In 2020, members of the roster won the European Pro League Season 14, a 3rd-level Dota 2 tournament, and already in 2021, the guys managed to take first place in the Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 grand tournament.

However, in the following years, the team could not show significant results. According to experts, the reason was the frequent replacement of players. Of course, this is not at all rare in eSports, but the turnover of players in B8 was actually very high: in 2020 , Remko "Crystallis" Arets and Dmytro "Fishman" Polishchuk left the roster, and at the beginning of 2022, another high-profile change took place. Then it was decided to include Denys "StoneBank" Korzh , Hleb "Funn1k" Lipatnikov and Joel "MoOz" Ozambela in the team. The purpose of the replacement was no less stunning than the fact itself: the B8 decided to try its luck in competition in the North American market. The adopted decision turned out to be unsuccessful: the boys could not play harmoniously and achieve the specified goals.

The substitutions of players in the team while maintaining the figure of Danylo "Dendi" Ishutin reflected the captain's attempt to find his own formula for success, rather than build on the strengths of the starting lineup, as many winners of majors and The International have done.

Team strategy

The B8 strategy is characterized by dynamism, as well as the desire to impose its own style of play on opponents. It should be noted that the team's level of adaptability to the opponent's strategy is quite low, which is one of the main reasons for its defeats.

Selection of heroes (drafting)

It is believed that the selection of heroes by B8 members is quite standard, but the team has a special talent: how the chosen heroes will be used is almost impossible to predict (even if the overall strategy of actions is predictable). This approach is a feature that distinguishes Dendi's style of play. And while it's quite risky, it's what makes B8's games so fun to watch.

Early game

In the early game, the B8 guys focus on resource accumulation and defense, although in some contests they will set up ambushes on opposing heroes.

Mid game

The team considers the central phase of the game to be decisive, and therefore, after feeling the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent, decides whether to accept the fight or choose a strategy to avoid collisions. At the same time, players strive to accumulate as many resources as possible and take control of all key points on the map. Members of the roster approach the destruction of enemy buildings with extreme caution and balance, fearing potential ambushes capable of causing serious damage to their positions.

Late game

In the last stage of the game, part of the participants focuses on the farm, while the leaders try to be active in different areas of the map.

Current position of the team in global eSports

At the end of 2023, the team did not have high ratings. In many ways, this became possible thanks to the results shown by the boys in 2022-2023 (52% of victories), because in general, the effectiveness of the B8 roster from Dota 2 is low and is only 44%.