Road to EWC 2026: Boxi, the Player Beating the Odds One Tournament at a Time

There is a version of this story where Samuel "Boxi" Svahn never makes it to The International. Where a hospital bed in Lima ends a career before its defining moment. Where grief following the loss of his mother quietly hollows out the hunger that made him special in the first place. That version of the story does not exist. What exists instead is Boxi at TI 2024, lifting the Aegis with Team Liquid, sunglasses on under the lights because his eyes can barely handle the brightness. A TI champion. A survivor. One of the most compelling figures in the history of the game.

Head to our Pick’ems section to follow Boxi and Team Liquid's journey toward TI 2026 in Shanghai and put your predictions to the test.

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From Heroes of Newerth to the World Stage

Boxi's talent in gaming became evident at the age of 15 when he competed in the World Cup for Heroes of Newerth in Bangkok and won. That result was the moment the professional path became real for his family. His brother and mother attended, and that is when it sunk in that this was something legitimate.

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A former Heroes of Newerth star, Boxi began his Dota 2 career as an offlaner for Alliance, joining a core that included two players who would become his longest-running teammates: Michael "miCKe" Vu and Aydin "iNSaNiA" Sarkohi. He was brought into the Dota 2 scene by miCKe and Insania; at the time, Insania considered Boxi to be the second-best player in Heroes of Newerth, after miCKe.

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Alliance ground away at the Tier 1 scene through 2018 and 2019 without a breakthrough result at the major level. They qualified for The International 2019, where Boxi's Alliance side fell in the 13th to 16th place bracket. It was not the result the roster had hoped for, but it was evidence they belonged at the highest level. The following month, Alliance won DOTA Summit 10, beating paiN Gaming 3-0 in the grand final.

The Team Liquid Years and the Dota 2 hero tier list Shift

In October 2019, Team Liquid picked up the Alliance core, and Boxi began what would become the central chapter of his career. The early years under the Liquid banner saw the roster develop into consistent Tier 1 contenders, with a first-place finish at ESL One Germany 2020 in November, defeating Natus Vincere 3-1 in the grand final standing as the high-water mark before the pandemic era disrupted live events.

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The reshuffles that followed tested Boxi's adaptability significantly. After MATUMBAMAN retired following The International 2022, miCKe returned to the carry role, with Nisha joining as his replacement in mid. Boxi had already made a position change of his own before this, transitioning from offlaner to support to accommodate the roster's needs, a shift that required relearning how to contribute at the highest level without the resources of a core role.

The Dota 2 hero tier list debate around Boxi's support play was settled quickly. His signature on Tusk became one of the most recognized and feared in the Western European region. Tusk's Snowball into physical lockdown fits a precise, timing-oriented playstyle, and Boxi deployed it with the kind of discipline that turns a hero from a pick into a statement.

Nine Grand Finals. Zero TI Trophies. Until 2024.

The statistic that defined Team Liquid for years was painful in its specificity. With iNSaNiA as their leader, they were one of the most notorious choking teams in history, losing nine grand finals in a row before winning The International 2024. Runner-up finishes accumulated at Lima, Berlin, Bali, and Riyadh. Each one reinforced a narrative the team desperately wanted to escape.

What made those years especially difficult for Boxi was that he was carrying far more than just a losing streak. Around the time the team was acquired by Team Liquid, Boxi's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and this affected him mentally, leading to conflict with teammates and coach Blitz. His mother was later declared cancer-free but went into remission during the COVID-19 pandemic. She passed away during DPC WEU 2021 Season 2, and Team Liquid was granted a waiver for their number of substitutes while Boxi took time away.

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After she passed away, Boxi described staying in bed for roughly a month, the most depressed he had ever been in his life. He returned to competition when he was ready. The community, largely unaware of what he had been through, was not always kind. Between his mother's passing, missing TI, and the vitriol directed at him by the community who were unaware of his situation, Boxi nearly walked away entirely.

He did not walk away.

Health problems compounded the emotional weight. During the Lima Major in 2023, stomach issues that had followed Boxi since childhood escalated into a medical emergency. He was diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding and was rushed home on a plane, with the team's analyst stepping in as a stand-in. In a Team Liquid documentary, Boxi described the experience:

Starting from childhood and throughout my life, I've had stomach problems. Then, things suddenly took a turn for the worse. I experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, as if there was a wound in my intestines that was bleeding profusely, and I couldn't eat.

By the time TI 2024 arrived, Boxi was competing with eye sensitivity so severe that the powerful lighting at tournaments forced him to wear a hoodie and dark glasses, which coach Blitz confirmed was a medical necessity rather than an affectation.

None of it stopped him. In the grand final at TI 2024, Team Liquid won 3-0, with Boxi shining on his signature Tusk in Game 2, breaking their second-placed curse and securing the Aegis for Team Liquid. In his post-match interview, he spoke directly:

It's been a few tough years for me personally, and I'm really happy to have a lot of my family here watching and supporting. To all my friends supporting at home, and to our fans, I want to give many thanks for giving me the strength to continue.

The Record, the Roster, and TI 2026

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The 2025-2026 season brought significant changes to Team Liquid. After iNSaNiA's retirement in late 2025, the team added Ace and tOfu to the roster. The current lineup features miCKe, Nisha, Ace, Boxi, and tOfu.

February 2026 brought a milestone worth noting independently of any trophy. Boxi and miCKe became the first duo in Dota 2 history to win 1,000 games together, a record that speaks to the length and consistency of a partnership that stretches back to 2017 and two different organizations. The record arrived during BLAST Slam VI, which Team Liquid won, adding another title to a season that has seen the team maintain their position among the elite.

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Their 2026 results include a first-place finish at BLAST Slam VI, a second-place at PGL Wallachia Season 7, and a fourth-place at PGL Wallachia Season 8. Boxi's career earnings now stand above $2.28 million across his professional career.

TI 2026 in Shanghai is the next landmark event on the calendar. Boxi arrives with a roster built around one of the most experienced cores in Western Dota 2. Whether that core can lift the Aegis is the question that will define the season.

TL;DR

• Samuel "Boxi" Svahn is a 28-year-old Swedish position 4 support, born April 10, 1998, currently playing for Team Liquid
• TI 2024 champion with over $2.28 million in career earnings across 112+ tournaments
• Overcame the loss of his mother, repeated near-retirement moments, and a gastrointestinal bleeding emergency to lift the Aegis
• Alongside miCKe, holds the all-time record for most wins by a duo in Dota 2 history (1,000+), reached in February 2026
• Now preparing for TI 2026 in Shanghai with Team Liquid's rebuilt roster