The International 2023 (TI12) will see the oldest and youngest player of the tournament compete on the same team!
The International has seen generations of Dota 2 players come in and out of the scene. Some are just making their way to the tip of the iceberg, some are still competing relentlessly after years, and some have gone on the path of retirement.
Previously, the oldest player at TI11 was Secret's Clement "Puppey" Ivanov, who was 32 years old at that time. The youngest player was OG's Bozhidar "bzm" Bogdanov, who was only 17 years old when he played his first TI. This year, both players failed to qualify for TI12, dropping from the Western Europe (WEU) Qualifer. Thus, we have a new set of the oldest and youngest players at TI12 - and both are actually playing for 9Pandas!
Who is the youngest player at TI12?
(Image via 9Pandas)
Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyryanov will compete at TI12 at 19 years old, making him the youngest player at the event. He is born on August 19, 2004 - the only '04 liner at TI12.
Kiyotaka was initially known as a young pub star, building a reputation with the name "depressed kid". He then joined multiple CIS teams at a young age, including NOVA, Team Unique, and Team Empire. He had an impressive time with CIS Rejects, in which he teamed up with prominent CIS veterans like 9pasha, RodjER, and RAMZES666. But his breakthrough came when he joined HellRaisers, now known as 9Pandas.
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Who is the oldest player at TI12?
(Image via 9Pandas)
Alexey "Solo" Berezin will compete at TI12 at 30 years old, making him the oldest player at the event. He was born on August 7, 1990, and started to compete professionally in Dota 2 in 2012 - accumulating more than a decade's worth of experience.
But for a couple of years recently, Solo had a tough time. After parting ways with Virtus.pro in 2020, Solo tried to find his way back, building stacks and joining teams like Just Error, No Techies, and the notable NAVI. He failed to qualify for two consecutive TIs in 2021 and 2022, but he now makes a spectacular comeback in 2023 - entering TI12 as one of the favorites.
The age gap in 9Pandas is definitely the widest among other TI participants. But the lineup undeniably has chemistry as 9pandas rose to become one of the strongest teams of 2023. Catch the oldest and youngest player at TI12 playing together this October 12th, 2023 at The International 2023.
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