PARIVISION has shown off a lot of heroes, but one of the most interesting is the Pudge pick and the curious support choices of 9Class.
While Pudge is known for being a highly picked hero in Dota 2 pub games, he is not seen much in the professional scene except when PARIVISION plays. Although we can all admire the nostalgia of Natus Vincere’s crazy Pudge strategies at The International back in the day, everything has changed. However, PARIVISION certainly values the hero and many other off-meta support picks.
So, what is it that makes Pudge a pick that works for PARIVISION? Below, we break down why the team’s off-meta drafting helps with their perfect plays.
9Class or masterclass?
The basics of PARIVISION’s brilliance come from Edgar "9Class" Naltakian. While the support Pudge played a strong part in a few victories at DreamLeague Season 26, his general support play is what makes him amazing. While everyone else plays to the meta, 9Class evolves it himself. From Centuar Warrunner as the soft support to Templar Assassin, he has prevailed with it all.
Would you ever expect a Terrorblade as a support, or even Slark? 9Class has you covered with all of these. It is quite clear that he is proficient with the heroes, while also having a little fun along the way.
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PARIVISION and the Pudge: Time for a little butchery
With that said, his Pudge is definitely a curious choice, but one that PARIVISION makes work. Although the hero is a top pick in the general Dota 2 population, beyond that, he is very rarely seen. At DreamLeague Season 26, we saw the hero chosen three times by the team. They were, of course, the only ones to draft “the Butcher.”
Pudge is an excellent hero in Dota 2. However, that is highly dependent on whether or not the person can play him well. Of course, 9Class can, which can be seen purely from the grand finals' Game 1. He dominated his opponents with 18 assists, the perfect Meat Hook’s left, right, and center, and a build that works perfectly for the hero.
In general, Pudge is a fantastic pick for the early and mid-game period. If players can hit their targets, they can get a big early game advantage. The hero excels at controlling the map while also being an excellent roamer for ganking unsuspecting enemies.
Domination throughout the year
PARIVISION has dominated the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) this season. With a huge 24,745 points over five tournaments, they blew every other team out of the water. Their next event will be the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025), coming in July. While we may see a lot of meta changes in the month leading up to it, we can be sure that PARIVISION will ignore the meta completely once again.
Having already received their direct invite to The International 2025, PARIVISION is on course for a magnificent year. If they can stand strong against 15 opponents at EWC 2025, then they could quickly become true favorites to lift the Aegis of Champions later in the year.
Pudge, Templar Assassin, Slark, and Terrorblade are never heroes that we expect to see as supports. However, when it comes to PARIVISION, 9Class ignores the meta and destroys his opponents. We might see more Pudge come out at EWC, but we are sure we will see more off-meta picks from the masterful support player.
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