Danil ‘Dendi’ Ishutin is a Ukrainian Dota 2 player who is currently playing for Team B8. He was born on December 30, 1989. He was a team member of the legendary lineup of NAVI that has reached three consecutive grand finals of The International.
Dendi was the key player for the NAVI roster that won first The International in 2011. Dendi is the first person in the history of the Dota 2 professional scene to participate in six Internationals under one organization. He has won total prize money of approximately $810,000 From 116 Tournaments.
Pro info: In most tournaments, Dendi uses HyperX Pulsefire Haste – Wireless Gaming Mouse and HyperX Alloy Origins Core Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.
Here is the purchase link for HyperX Pulsefire Haste – Wireless Gaming Mouse:
Here is the link to HyperX Alloy Origins Core Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard:
Table of contents: All you need to know about Dendi
How it all started for Dendi
Danil Ishutin, Better known by his IGN Dendi, is one of the greatest Dota 2 players of all time. He was born in Lviv, Ukraine, on December 30, 1989.
Through Quake and Doom, he has stepped into the gaming world. He improved his skills in Warcraft 3 and was quite successful in the local championships. But DotA completely changed the path of his life.
DotA
Dendi started by playing a support role and led his team to a Championship in Kyiv. Due to his potential, he was picked up by Wolker Gaming at 17. He was a member of the Ukrainian squad that achieved 3rd place in MYM Prime Nations and also went to the finals of MYM Prime Defending.
After that, he continuously switched between Ks.Int and DTS Gaming. With DTS Gaming, he finished 2nd at ESWC 2010. By the end of 2010, he has joined Natus Vincere.
Dota 2
Dendi started his career with NAVI and quickly caught the limelight by defeating EHOME in the grand final and winning The International 2011. NAVI (Na’Vi) continued to dominate the Dota 2 competitive scene and won several tournaments from 2011-2013. The ultimate combo of Dendi and Puppey was the main factor behind the success of the NAVI.
In The International 2012 and The International 2013, NAVI reached the finals but lost to Invictus Gaming and Alliance, respectively.
2014 was not an excellent year for NAVI as they have only won two LANs before The International. In TI 2014, NAVI could not reach the finals of TI for the first time and finished in the 7th-8th position. The downfall of NAVI has impacted the competitive scene. The team has gone through multiple roster shuffles.
In TI 5 and TI 6, NAVI failed to perform on the big stage and finished in last place. In The International 2017, NAVI could not qualify for the main tournament due to bad performance in the regional qualifiers.
During the 17-18 season, Dendi and NAVI looked promising. However, NAVI could not reach the regional qualifiers for The International 2018 due to losing in the open qualifiers. In the middle of the season, the roster broke apart.
The continuous instability in the roster and the poor results have affected the reputation of NAVI and Dendi’s status as legendary players. The critics questioned his mid-laning. After playing more than eight years in NAVI, he was removed from the active roster. He was loaned to Tigers and Pango to continue playing professionally.
After spending a considerable chunk of his professional career in NAVI, he left the Organization in August 2019. In January 2020, Dendi founded a new organization named B8. He is still considered one of the best MOBA pros in the esports scene.
How is it going for Dendi?
After getting officially released from Natus Vincere (NAVI) on January 27, 2020, Dendi founded a Ukrainian Esports organization named B8. After forming the team, the team has participated in multiple tier-2 and tier-3 Dota 2 tournaments. Those are:
- WePlay! Dota 2 Tug of War: Mad Moon
- ESL One Los Angeles 2020 – Online: Europe & CIS
- WePlay! Pushka League S1: Division 1
- Epic Prime League Season 1
- BEYOND EPIC: Europe/CIS
- OMEGA League: Europe Divine Division
- DPC 2021: Season 2 – Eastern Europe Lower Division
- Dota 2 Champions League Season 3
- Dota 2 Champions League Season 4
- Dota 2 Champions League Season 5
But, in these tournaments, B8 has failed to deliver a decent performance. In Dota 2 Champions League Season 3, B8 has finished in 3rd place, but the rest performances can take a toll on the team of a legendary Dota 2 player. B8 is playing in DPC NA 2023 Tour 1: Division I but had a disappointing start with four consecutive losses. The current roster of B8 is as follows:
- StoneBank- Position 1
- Dendi- Position 2
- Funn1k- Position 3
- MoOz- Position 4
- Lodine- Position 5
Dendi has earned approximately $809,470.53 From 116 Tournaments. His highest prize money was $200,000 from The International 2011.
Regardless of bad performances from his team, Dendi will continue to play Dota 2 at the professional level. He still likes the adrenaline rush and fun while playing Dota 2 in the professional Dota 2 scene.
What made Dendi the top player?
Dendi is one of the best Dota 2 professional players of all time. Starting with Warcraft III and then becoming one of the best players in Dota, Dendi has come a long way. Dendi joined Natus Vincere at the end of 2010. Along with NAVI, Dendi earned fame by winning the first ever The International in 2011. The combination of:
- ArtStyle
- Dendi
- XBOCT
- Puppey
- LighTofHeaveN
Has provided NAVI the famous win in the grand finale against EHOME by 3-1. He was on the team that played finals of 2012 and 2013. From 2011 to 2013, NAVI won 20 tier-1 events. Dendi is famous for his unorthodox and unconventional playing styles. With practical skills and item builds, Dendi is renowned for unexpected plays.
Though he started his career as a support, he has mastered playing in position 2. The fans of Dota 2 still hail the combination of Dendi and Puppey.
With the carry-support duo, NAVI has done a miracle in The International 2013. With Dendi Pudge & Puppey Chen Combo Fountain hooking, NAVI has won the series against Tong Fu in the playoffs of The International 2013. The combination, bond, and synergy with Puppey have engraved the legacy of this duo in the Dota 2 scene.
Even Valve has released an in-game set of Pudge that has a Dendi-doll hanging from his belt. Dendi was also featured in the Free to Play documentary covering the early rise of the Dota 2 Esports scene. At TI 2017, Dendi played two One-on-One matches against the OpenAI machine learning bot.
Though his current team B8 is struggling to make an impact on the Dota 2 processional scene, fans applaud his dedication to continuing playing professionally at the age of 33.
What gears does Dendi use?
If someone wants to build a career based on esports, the person must have esports-quality gear to maximize the potential. It would be easier for the person to grind for hours with the quality peripherals. ‘Dendi’ is a renowned name in the Dota 2 pro scene. Purchasing Dendi’s preferred gear is very convenient for the players.
Here is a small list of gears Dendi uses:
1. HyperX Pulsefire Haste – Wireless Gaming Mouse:
2. HyperX Fury S HX-MPFS-S-M Speed Edition – Pro Gaming Mouse Pad:
3. HyperX Cloud Alpha S Wired On-Ear Headphones:
4. HyperX Alloy Origins Core Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard:
5. PC Setup:
a. AOC – G2590Px, 24.5 Inch (62.23 Cm) 1920 x 1080 Pixels, Led Gaming Monitor:
b. Motherboard HP Proprietary 8437
c. Intel Core i7-10700K Processor:
d. GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080:
What more people also want to know about Dendi?
Q. What is Dendi doing now?
A. Dendi is currently playing for a Ukrainian esports team B8.
Q. Why is Dendi famous?
A. Dendi is one of the most creative, quirky, and loved Dota players worldwide. He is respected for his unconventional, unorthodox playstyle and unexpected plays.
Q. Why did Dendi leave NAVI?
A. Due to the continuous roster shuffles and poor performance of NAVI, after staying for more than eight years in NAVI, Dendi left NAVI.
Conclusion
At 33, Dendi is still a part of the active roster of B8. After the foundation, B8 has lacked consistency in the tier-2 and tier-3 tournaments. B8 didn’t win any significant trophies after forming.
But Dendi does not want to lose hope and wants to continue his professional career in Dota 2. According to Dendi, ‘It’s never too late for a comeback.’
