Dota 2 Player Profile: Miracle

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Amer Al-Barkawi, better known by his gamertag of Miracle, is one of the most celebrated Dota 2 players of all time. In fact, Miracle has been playing since the early days of the franchise, back when Defense of the Ancients was making waves in the emerging esports sector. So, how did Miracle make the jump from a non-competitive gamer to one of the most successful esports players of all time? Let’s find out.

Career Beginnings

Unlike other esports stars who were plucked from obscurity, Miracle was quite content playing non-competitively for many years. However, he quickly made a name for himself on the amateur scene, climbing the ranks in public matches. It wasn’t until 2015 that he would join an official team roster,

Unlike other esports stars that were plucked from obscurity, Miracle’s rise to the top was something of a slow burn. It wasn’t until 2015 that he would join an official team roster, signing up with the short-lived Balkan Bears. With the Romania-based outfit disbanded that same year, Miracle was quickly snapped up by another European team, (monkey) Business. Never heard of them before? That’sprobably because they quickly rebranded as OG. As part of the OG lineup, Miracle had added two Major wins to his trophy cabinet by the end of 2016. That same year, Miracle became the first Dota 2 player of all time to secure a 9000 matchmaking rating and won the title of Esports Rookie of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards.

Joining Team Liquid

Despite some initial success with OG, a disappointing result during The International in 2016 led to Miracle rethinking his position. He left OG and signed a contract with Team Liquid. Along with his new teammates, he returned to compete in The International in 2017. This time, Miracle’s team walked away victorious, scooping an impressive $11 million in prize money. At the time, this was the biggest single cash prize ever awarded in professional esports.

Unfortunately, Team Liquid’s Dota 2 troupe couldn’tmaintain their winning streak. Despite a win at the China Dota2 Supermajor, they only managed a fourth-place finish at the International 2018. The following year, they placed as runners-up, losing out to Miracle’s old squad, OG.

Team Nigma is Born

While many teams would be content with a second-place result, Team Liquid’s then-captain, Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi wasn’t happy. KuroKy, along with Miracle and three other members of the team decided the time was right to make their own destiny. They left Team Liquid with the aim of creating their own organization. The result was Team Nigma, now better known as Nigma Galaxy.

Despite some early success at the Minors, NigmaGalaxy’s tournament performance has been something of a mixed bag. They’ve rarely placed above third in Tier 2 tournaments, while their most recent appearance at the Riyadh Masters in 2022 was one of their worst results to date. Nonetheless, Miracle and his Nigma teammates look like they’rein for the long haul. Keen to follow Nigma on their journey? Check out www.1337pro.com/en/dota2/tournament-schedulefor the last match and fixture announcements.