Will Hero Dota 2 IO Present at The International (TI) 11?

Heroes of Dota 2 IO

If you pay attention, IO is one of the Dota 2 heroes who always appears in The International (TI) final matches. Then, what is the reason pro players choose this hero? Then, will IO be present at TI 11 Finals?

Intrigued by the explanation? Check it out below!

IO, the Wisp

Heroes of Dota 2 IO
Hero Dota 2 IO posters.

IO is one of the most unique and most mysterious support heroes in Dota 2. Shaped like a floating ball of light, IO will help the whole team in a battle.

According to Lore, IO is said to be the core of the world, present before time, the source of all sources. With the power of the universe, he shares his power to strengthen his friends.

In terms of Role, IO is a post 5 support hero. But uniquely, by draft, IO is included in the Heroes Strength draft. So basically, IO is fairly strong. It's not uncommon for IO to be Midlaner by several players.

If you notice, IO has never been absent from The International (TI) Finals. Starting from year 2018, 2019, and 2021, IO always appears. Usually IO is used by PSG. LGD, OG, TeamSecret, or TeamSpirit.

During the TI 11 playoffs tournament, IO only appeared once in the side PSG.LGD against beastcoast. And, in fact, in that game, PSG.LGD lost. Is the existence of IO as support still valid? Or replaced?

Ok, without further ado, here are the reasons why IO still deserves to be the best support at TI 11 2022!

Tether and Overcharge – Main Skill IO

Display of Tether Skills and Overcharge Hero Dota 2 IO. Source: VCGamers.

IO has the first skill called Tether which is the main skill of IO. IO can connect with other heroes using this skill.

This Tether-bound friend will get additional movement speed and share Mana/Health Regen. So IO and your friends can get buffs together.

Meanwhile, Overcharge is the third skill from IO which focuses on attack speed, spell amplification, and HP/Mana Regen for 8 seconds.

This skill can actually IO use alone. But it's a loss if you don't use this power with teammates using Tether.

So these two skills are a package, a combo that is mandatory. Because IO is also included as a hero support, usually he accompanies Safelaner or Offlaners.

For Offlaners, you can consider heroes like Sven, Slardar, Ax, or Tiny. As for Safelaners, you can work with Shadow Fiend, Slark, or long range heroes like Sniper and Drow Ranger.

Also Read: 5 Best Carry Heroes in DOTA 2 Patch 7.23c

Spirits as "Enemy Parameters"

Heroes of Dota 2 IO
Hero Skill Display Dota 2 IO Relocate. Source: VCGamers.

Spirits is the second skill from IO which can issue five orbs surrounding it. When removing it, you can adjust the distance of the orbs, either far or close.

If the orbs hit an enemy hero, it will explode, giving magic damage, slows down enemy movement, and grants vision (if in Fog of War). Meanwhile, if hit by creeps, he will not explode and only give a little magic damage.

You can use Spirits to easily stack creeps. Make sure you take it out before the 50th second so it's time to stack creeps.

Or, you can use it just in case an enemy gangs up. What's more, even if the enemy is invisible, orbs will still explode if it hits them.

Also Read: 5 Strongest Heroes for the Latest Dota 2 Buff 2022

Relocate – Irreplaceable Signature Hero Dota 2 IO

Hero Skill Display Dota 2 IO Relocate. Source: VCGamers.

This is the only skill that no other hero has. IO will teleport himself and his partner (if using a Tether connection) wherever IO wants.

Before teleporting, IO has time to cast skills, such as preparing for teleport. If IO is hit by a status like Rooted, Stunned, Disabled, Disarm, until sleep, then the cast will fail and the Relocate Skill will cooldown.

Often IO players bring their friends (carry, offlaner) back to the Base. There are also those who bring their friends so they don't miss the battle or ganking.

Well, the drawback lies after using Relocate. Above IO's body there will be a countdown starting from number 12. If the countdown ends, IO will come back to that place.

Nothing can cancel this countdown. In the past, there were several ways to cancel this skill, such as using Eul's Scepter or the Town Portal Scroll. But now this method is no longer possible.

The method that the writer knows at this time is by using the X Marks The Spot Skill from Kunkka or Recall from Keeper of the Light. For the rest, no one can.

IO can also disconnect Tether from one hero and pair it to another hero. So IO basically can choose to return alone, return with the previous hero, or return with another hero.

Then, Is Hero IO in Dota 2 Still Worth It?

Heroes of Dota 2 IO
Skin Arcana Hero Dota 2 IO.

In terms of skill, IO is still worth it, but not really. The International (TI) 11 players tend to use the new META heroes support in Dota 2, such as Marci, Undying, Crystal Maiden, Snapfire, to Hoodwink.

But indeed, it is very difficult to replace the buffs that IO has. There are several heroes who can provide this buff.

Let's say Marci with the Rebound skill can add movement speed even if only for a moment. Meanwhile, the Attack Speed buff might only be obtained from Ogre Magi and Legion Commanders.

The damage that IO gives as support doesn't hurt too much, especially if you become Support. But when it comes to buffs, you don't need to doubt it.

Also Read: Rows of Dota 2 Hero Skills That Translucent Black King Bar (BKB)!

So the conclusion is that IO is still very likely to be present at The International (TI) 11 Final as Support. Moreover, the buff that IO gave was quite long.

Maybe there are some hero skills that can replace IO. But then again, Dota 2 seems to have evolved over time. Every time there will be a hero who is always updated to be even better.

So, how is it? Still interested in using IO in ranked?

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