Dota 2 is famous for games that seem completely lost until one moment changes everything. Even a 15–20k gold lead doesn’t guarantee victory if the enemy finds the perfect fight. This article highlights five verified comebacks that defined different eras of competitive Dota.

OG vs PSG.LGD — The International 2018, Grand Final, Game 4

PSG.LGD dominated in the fourth match as they won the lanes, controlled the map, and were ahead by a 15k net worth. OG was on the brink of being eliminated, but ana's survival plays on Spectre, as well as Ceb legendary Axe initiation game, flipped the whole game around. They snowballed a won fight into a complete victory, winning that match as well.

Alliance vs Natus Vincere — The International 2013, Grand Final, Game 5

Na’Vi aggressively pushed right from the start, but Alliance perfectly split-pushed with Bulldog and Loda consistently pressing the boundaries. In the final throne fight, Alliance removed teleports from Na’Vi, rendering them useless. This was all it took for those precious seconds to lead to the destruction of the throne, finishing with a truly historic finish.

Team Liquid vs PSG.LGD — The International 2019, Lower Bracket Final, Game 2

LGD controlled early and accumulated a 16k lead in net worth, taking two lanes. However, a failed high ground attack turned all of this around, with LGD wasting several key heroes while providing Liquid a vital lead. Liquid leveled this match, taking control of the map and winning a key fight in the river area, transforming a lost match into a true classic of TI9.

Azure Ray vs Gaimin Gladiators — ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, Grand Final, Game 5

Gladiators were ahead 2-0, and it seemed that no team could stop their winning momentum, but then Azure Ray turned their whole draft around, and this completely changed the course of their series. They won Games 3 and 4, and then their late-game team fight performance in a deciding Game 5 was better than that of Gladiators, as a result of which a reverse sweep was completed.

PARIVISION vs BetBoom Team — PGL Wallachia Season 6, Group Stage, Game 1

BetBoom controlled the game almost entirely, first building a 15k gold lead and later extending it to an incredible 34k, leaving PARIVISION with little room to play. But PARIVISION held on, won a decisive late-game teamfight, and closed out the map in their favor — one of the standout comebacks of the season.

These series of match-ups show that until the crown goes down, Dota 2 never stays down. In a game of 20k swings from a single fight, comebacks are not only feasible, but it’s history.