Dota 2 fans witnessed the end of an era on 22nd January as Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov's reign over the game’s ranked leaderboards finally concluded after more than a year in the coveted number one spot. Stepping into the limelight was none other than North American sensation Quinn Callahan, claiming the top position and marking a significant shift in the competitive landscape.

Quinn's ascent to the summit is not a sudden revelation. The North American star has consistently secured a position within the top 10 ranks. However, what eluded him was the pinnacle, possibly hindered by his previously contentious behavior in ranked matches. Towards the close of 2023, Quinn publicly apologized for his past actions within the Dota 2 community. It appears that this newfound positive mental attitude played a pivotal role in propelling him to the rank-one position.

This transformative shift did not go unnoticed, drawing attention from both fans and fellow professional players. Speculations arose regarding Watson's success, with some suggesting that his leaderboard dominance was facilitated by the use of a Smurf account. Janne “Gorgc” Stefanovski, a prominent figure in the Dota 2 scene, revealed to his audience that Watson frequently switched to his smurf account when faced with challenges, possibly to avoid losing MMR on his main account.

While seemingly trivial, the significance of MMR points cannot be overstated at the pinnacle of Dota 2’s leaderboard. Recent actions by Valve, including the ban of players like StingeR for account sharing during DreamLeague qualifiers, led to widespread complaints from professional players about lengthy queue times after their smurfs were banned. Watson, too, faced consequences during this ban wave, losing access to his smurf account and restricting him to playing exclusively on his main account.

Also read: ESL Implements Stricter Measures Following Valve's Dota 2 Smurf Bans

Although Watson's reign has concluded, his legacy is etched in Dota 2 history with notable achievements. In November 2023, he made waves by securing both the number one and two spots on the leaderboard simultaneously with his two accounts. Additionally, a month prior to this feat, Watson claimed the rank-one position in a second region during TI 2023, showcasing unparalleled dominance in the competitive arena. As the sun sets on Watson's era, a new dawn rises with Quinn Callahan at the helm, ready to script his own legacy in the Dota 2 pantheon.