Check out Dota 2 Unmuted, ESL’s True Sight successor

Unmuted, a spiritual successor to the Dota 2 documentary series True Sight, has just dropped and Dota 2 fans are hyped.

The world of esports is rife with intrigue and drama, and Dota 2 is no different. As one of the oldest active esports scenes, Dota 2 has seen many teams come and go over the years. Although many fans can recite their amazing plays at The International beat-for-beat, little is known about the lives of these esports players.

Dota 2’s True Sight was a documentary series featuring the best esports players each year. It covered iconic moments such as the feud between Team Liquid and Newbie in 2017 and the post-pandemic renaissance of Team Spirit in 2021. The series gave great insights into the mindsets of Dota 2’s best players. It was an honored tradition among hardcore esports fans to watch the series.

Sadly for those audiences, Valve unceremoniously axed the series for 2022. Valve never gave an official reason. Team Spirit representative Vyacheslav “Art1st” Lyadnov claimed there would be no True Sight in 2023. Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, Team Spirit’s carry, corroborated these claims.

After the controversial changes to The International in 2023, many fans saw this as yet another negative in a turbulent year. 2024 once again saw no True Sight from Valve. Fortunately for fans, ESL stepped up with a documentary series of its own, “Unmuted.”

What is Dota 2 Unmuted?

Unmuted is a documentary series focusing on the highs and lows of Dota 2’s best esports teams.  The series’ first episode, titled ESL One Birmingham, follows the 2024 Esports World Cup scene. The opening seconds immediately set the tone, with Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn raging at his teammates.  “Why do I have Sammyboy on my team?” exclaimed Davai.

ESL One Birmingham: Unmuted

“Sammyboy” refers to Samuel “Sammyboy” Anderson,  a pro-Dota 2 player currently playing for Apex Genesis. He was infamous for his toxic personality and considered by many Tier 1 players a “joke,” as Deckmyn’s outburst showcased.  These off-the-cuff insults showcase the intensity of esports at the highest level.

Fans found these outbursts charming and relatable. Anybody who’s ever played a competitive game has become heated with their teammates at one point or another. Sammyboy’s general unpopularity among fans may have helped add some levity to an otherwise stressful segment.

From there, the documentary goes in-depth into the lives of Dota 2 esports athletes leading up to the game. Many fans praised the documentary’s production quality. Professional-grade cameras, sleek editing, and great audio meant it felt like a worthy successor to Valve’s True Sight series.

What made it a bit different from True Sight was how much of the conflicts between team members it showed. While drama was always present in True Sight, Unmuted focused on those unique team dynamics. These elements humanized the larger-than-life esports figures and made their victories and losses hit that much harder.

For any fan fascinated by the internal culture of these esports divisions, Unmuted is a fascinating watch. While many fans will miss the “official” vibes of True Sight, ESL takes the esports documentary concept in a different direction.