TI14 Day 1 – Ame Steals the Show As Xtreme Take Down Team Spirit

The International 14 has finally begun in Hamburg, and day 1 wasted no time in delivering top-tier Dota action. Although the time zone difference is killing me as someone in Southeast Asia, the first day has motivated me to continue watching every TI14 match. 

Ame is Rolling Back the Years

If there was any doubt about his form coming into the event, Wang “Ame” Chunyu silenced it on opening day. The veteran carry powered Xtreme Gaming to a 2-0 start in the Swiss stage, including a massive victory over tournament favorites Team Spirit. 

On day 1, across five maps against Aurora and Spirit, Ame only died once – in the Game 2 loss against the latter – while playing near-flawless Dota the rest of the way:

• 18/0/4 on Ursa against Aurora
• 10/0/10 on Sven against Aurora
• 12/0/11 on Alchemist against Spirit
• 1/1/4 on Faceless Void against Spirit
• 5/0/15 on Anti-Mage against Spirit

He’s been reliably finding farm, while also getting perfect initiations today. It really feels like he’s back in his prime, only five years later. For a player long considered one of the best to never win TI, it’s refreshing that he’s finding this kind of start at the biggest event of the year. 

Is Chinese Dota Back?

It wasn’t just Xtreme Gaming picking up wins for their region. The other two Chinese representatives, Team Tidebound and Yakutou Brothers, also secured wins on the first day to put Chinese Dota back on the map.

Once the most dominant region in the world, China has struggled to make deep runs at TIs in recent memory. Still, with all three squads finding their footing early on, I’m beginning to wonder if Hamburg could mark a resurgence for my fellow Asian brothers. 

Day 1 Delivered Awesome Matches Already

TI has already proved it was all worth the wait. Day 1 was packed with exactly what makes TI special. Multiple games went past the 60-minute mark, with back-and-forth net worth graphs, Rat Dota action, and dramatic throws.

Even with this year’s prize pool sitting well below the record-breaking totals we used to see, the intensity of the matches hasn’t dropped. TI still brings out the absolute best in every player, and if Day 1 is any indication, we’re in for a ride for the rest of the event.