Longevity and dominance: Esports’ most successful teams ever
The esports industry has been around for a while, which led to various teams dominating certain games. Since there are standout games in the industry, certain teams have also stood out and become household names.
Popularity in esports can be determined by which teams have been successful through the years. Have a look at some teams that deserved their spot at the top, especially within their own game.
OG (Dota 2)
When they began in 2015 as Monkey Business, this team was seen as the underdog. Launched by former Fnatic and Team Secret stars Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein and Tal ‘Fly’ Aizik, OG became one of the most successful teams in Dota 2 history. They won two Majors before The International 2016, but were surprisingly beaten.
The same scenario continued, as they would win the Valve Majors, but they would lose at TI. Enough was enough for Fly in 2018, as he exited the team he had built. This left N0tail to pick up the scraps, but he ended up becoming esports’ most successful player by leading OG to back-to-back championships at The International.
Their runs in TI8 and TI9 remain legendary, as they captured everyone’s attention by being underdogs and following up that magical run with an even more dominant performance. With players like Anathan ‘ana’ Pham, Topias ‘Topson’ Taavitsainen, Jesse ‘JerAx’ Vainikka, and Sébastien ‘Ceb’ Debs, N0tail, and OG secured their spot as a top team.
Astralis’ 2018-2020 team (Counter-Strike)
Throughout Counter-Strike’s many games and eras, there have been many dominant teams. CS 1.6 had Fnatic, while early CS:GO had Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP). However, no one can reach Astralis’ dominance from 2018 to 2020 in CS:GO.
They were such a good team that they redefined the game’s meta, not only in the professional level, but also in the regular players’ meta. It was well-earned as they won three Valve Majors during that timeframe, cementing their place as the best team in CS:GO and possibly in Counter-Strike’s illustrious history.
The Danish side already had a Major in 2017, but they reached new heights under Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander, who had already been leading as their in-game leader since late 2016. The core four of Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz, Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth, Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif, and Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen were superb, as they were skilled, but went up another level when gla1ve became the primary shot-caller.
With three consecutive Majors under their belt, Astralis won everything in Counter-Strike. It has never been done before or since, which cements them as a top CS and esports team.
T1 (League of Legends)
The most successful team in League of Legends esports is by far T1, formerly known as SK Telecom T1. They have been successful across different eras of LoL esports, as they won World Championships in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2023. As the most prestigious event in League, Worlds is the biggest achievement, so winning it a record four times cements T1 as the top team.
They also had the game’s best-ever player, Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok. He has been with T1 for the longest time and has been present for all four championships. Faker is still with the team, and is widely considered the greatest player to ever touch League of Legends.
As a team, T1 has always been hard to figure out. They have a strong tactical side, as they are hard to pick champions against, but they also rely on their abilities to stand out. Faker is the best example of that as he has cemented his place as a top player who finds ways to dominate a match with his unmatched skill ceiling.
The teamwork also helped with T1’s success as they always felt they were connected during their matches, leading to their victories for multiple years.
OpTic Gaming’s 2015-2018 team (Call of Duty)
This is considered the longest-tenured and most successful dynasty in Call of Duty esports. This dynasty is considered the best due to the trio of Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper, and Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter. They were joined shortly after by Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, who completed the most dominant quartet in CoD history.
During their dominance, they won 18 offline tournaments, including a Call of Duty World League Championship title in 2017. Apart from their success, they also made it to 25 overall grand finals. They also had 28 top-four finishes, which meant they were always at the top or near it.
With a 79.05% win percentage at offline events and a 72.2% win rate in tournament finals, they proved themselves as the best team in Call of Duty history. That consistency and longevity made them such a strong team to play against, which made them a popular choice for CoD’s greatest-ever squad.
Team Spirit (Dota 2)
Most people speak about OG as a top Dota team, but Team Spirit also deserves a mention. For a long time, OG was the only two-time winning team in The International’s history until Team Spirit replicated that achievement in 2023.
They did it with most of the same team with Alexander ‘TORONTOTOKYO’ Khertek present for the 2021 win, while Denis ‘Larl’ Sigitov was present for the 2023 win. Spirit is mostly known for going toe-to-toe with their opponents, but their ability to win team fights was second to none during their prime.
Team Liquid might have won the organisation’s second TI in 2024, but that is a complete overhaul from their team in 2017, which is why Spirit and OG are considered better than them because of their consistent core.
Esports has seen many great teams, and these stand out as among the elite.
