Vladimir Putin sends message to Team Spirit after TI10 win

The International 10, Dota 2’s biggest tournament to date gave fans a lot of exciting moments last weekend, as against all odds, Team Spirit ended being crowned as new world champions after a 3-1 upset against long-time favourites PSG.LGD.

The rise of the CIS team as the new Dota 2 world champions and their tremendous feat has managed to reach the ears of everyone, from legendary players and Dota pros from around the world, to personalities as powerful as Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Surprisingly, Putin dedicated a few words to Team Spirit through a statement posted on the official website of the country’s government, where he publicly praised the performance of the squad in The International 10 held in Bucharest, Romania.

Putin also took the chance to congratulate the team for their well-deserved victory and for bringing the Aegis of Champions for the first time to the Russian nation, as they finished a decade-long drought for the CIS region while also taking a massive US$18 million prize with it.

Undoubtedly, Putin's public congratulations are just an example of the impact the esports industry has had in recent years, as can be seen from the decisions of the Russian Government who actually recognize esports as a sports discipline, and also the addition of esports as medal events at the 2022 Asian Games.

In addition, this achievement by Team Spirit joins a list of recent championship wins the CIS region has had in recent months, such as the victory of Gambit Esports at the Valorant Masters Berlin, and the Intel Grand Slam conquered by Natus Vincere.

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Featured image courtesy of the Kremlin / Valve.