Gunnar

From Liquipedia Dota 2 Wiki
[e][h]Gunnar
Player Information
Name:
Nicolas Lopez
Nationality:
Born:
January 14, 2000 (age 25)
Region:
North America North America
Years Active (Player):
2017 - 2024
Current Role:
Approx. Total Winnings:
$178,179
Signature Hero:
Lone Druid Ember Spirit Tiny
Links
History
2018-04-12 — 2018-06-??
2018-09-11 — 2018-11-??
2019-01-26 — 2019-02-09
2019-02-09 — 2019-04-21
2019-05-12 — 2019-06-24Chaos EC
2019-06-24 — 2019-09-20Team Jinesbrus
2019-09-20 — 2020-01-20Ninjas in Pyjamas
2020-03-30 — 2021-10-154 Zoomers
2021-11-11 — 2022-05-044 Zoomers
2022-05-04 — 2022-10-28nouns
2022-12-05 — 2023-11-05nouns
2023-11-12 — 2024-11-01Nouns Esports
Upcoming Matches
No Upcoming Matches

Upcoming Tournaments
No upcoming tournaments

Nicolas "Gunnar" Lopez (born January 14, 2000) is an American player who last played for Nouns Esports.

Playing career[edit]

Beginnings in North America[edit]

Gunnar started playing Dota 2 in 2013, when he was 13. He got into the game after challenging another player to a 1v1 in Team Fortress 2, where the winner would get a hat. Gunnar won, but his opponent did not have any good hats, so gave him a beta key for Dota 2 instead. He was a huge fan of Dendi, and mimicked him by playing mid and Pudge. He also attempted the Fountain Hook with a friend at times. By 15, Dota 2 was the game he played the most.[1]

He entered the Dota 2 professional scene in 2017, playing in various small NA tournaments and qualifiers, even earning a chance to play in the TI7 NA Qualifiers within his first year of playing in the pro scene. Over time, he rose in stature in the region, joining Flying Penguins in 2019. Despite showing promise, Gunnar found himself kicked after the DreamLeague Season 11 North America Qualifiers for the more-experienced Ryoya. This move was a straight swap, as Gunnar joined Ryoya's previous team, TEAM TEAM. Both teams were nevertheless amongst the favourites to qualify, but Flying Penguins got the better of TEAM TEAM in the subsequent qualifiers.

In March 2019, EternaLEnVy joined TEAM TEAM, replacing Sammyboy. With this roster, TEAM TEAM successfully qualified for MDL Disneyland Paris Major. Behind the scenes, however, all was not well, which Gunnar elaborated on in 2024. He stated that after qualifying to the Paris Major, they played in "some Beyond the Summit tournament",[note 1] but were not completely focused, as they were so excited to have qualified to the Major, and played badly. As a result, the team wanted to kick himself and Newsham. The team later got an invite to ESL One Mumbai 2019 after other teams dropped out, and Gunnar and Newsham were given a stay of execution as the team had never played on LAN before, which was a completely different environment.[1]

At ESL One Mumbai, TEAM TEAM stormed the group stages 4-0, despite the stress of the potential kick. After this, Gunnar relaxed a bit, but instead the team collapsed in the playoffs, failing to win a single match against Mineski and TNC Predator.[1] Gunnar and Newsham were indeed kicked after this, meaning they would not play in Paris despite qualifying to it. Additionally, Gunnar's replacement was once again Ryoya. This now-notorious move brought fierce criticism upon EternaLEnVy,[2] although Gunnar later stated that it was a team decision, not solely EternaLEnVy's. Further sympathy was gained for Gunnar, who revealed that his family had bought tickets to Paris to watch him play.[3][4]

Exploring other regions[edit]

After leaving TEAM TEAM, Gunnar joined Team Jinesbrus for the Southeast Asia qualifiers to The International 2019. The stack featured then-pubstar 23savage and South Korea's finest veterans in Forev, Febby and March. Jinesbrus fought their way through the Lower Bracket to meet favourites Mineski, taking game 1 in an upset. However, key mistakes in games 4 and 5 gave Mineski the win and a spot at The International. Despite the heartbreaking loss, Gunnar was invited to The International 2019 as an analyst, marking his talent debut. He also remains friends with 23savage as of 2024.[1]

After The International 2019, ppd identified Gunnar's talent, and invited him to join Ninjas in Pyjamas in Europe. Gunnar had also begun to expand his hero pool, which had become a weakness in Jinesbrus. Although Ninjas in Pyjamas qualified to multiple tournaments, Gunnar's confidence and performances were lacking, and he found himself removed from the team in January 2020.[1]

4 Zoomers and nouns[edit]

After leaving Ninjas in Pyjamas, Gunnar established the team "4 Zoomers (& a Vegan)" (later shortened to 4 Zoomers), consisting of Sammyboy, himself, monkeys-forever, ocean and Husky in COVID-hit 2020. The team quickly established itself as one of the strongest in North America, often finishing 2nd or 3rd, behind the dominant Quincy Crew. Across the Americas, however, results were more mixed, with 4 Zoomers perennially-struggling against South America's strongest teams. Gunnar, however, continued to grow as a player, firmly establishing himself as one of the strongest midlaners in the region, and a playmaking talisman for his team.

With the return of the Dota Pro Circuit in 2021, 4 Zoomers were invited to the inaugural Upper Division in North America, placing 4th. During The International 2021 North America Qualifiers, Gunnar met his second International qualifier heartbreak, as nouns lost 0-3 to Team Undying in the Grand Finals, with Gunnar comfortably beaten by Bryle in the midlane. The following year was very much the same, ending in a 0-3 Grand Final loss to Quincy Crew (signed by Soniqs) in The International 2022 North America Qualifiers. The Last Chance Qualifiers for the 2nd and 3rd-placed finishers of each regional qualifier marked Gunnar's return to an international LAN since 2019. nouns, however, struggled, placing joint-last.

Qualifying for The International[edit]

The following season, the departure of Quinn to Gaimin Gladiators and dissolution of Soniqs opened up an opportunity for nouns to move up a spot in North America. Gunnar's hero pool had also expanded significantly, even with unorthodox midlane heroes — a far cry from his early days as an Ember Spirit and Morphling spammer. Once again, however, they found themselves stuck behind Shopify Rebellion (who had signed the Evil Geniuses roster) and TSM (who had signed the Team Undying roster), missing out on the Lima Major and Berlin Major. In Tour 3, however, they finally managed to best TSM, finishing second behind Shopify Rebellion and qualifying to the Bali Major, although nouns' lack of international experience showed.

For The International 2023 North America Qualifiers, nouns made one change, adding the formidable K1 to their team and moving Yamsun to support, at the cost of losing Husky, Gunnar's long-term teammate (having played 588 matches together). The roster change made nouns' run far bumpier than they desired, particularly in the Upper Bracket Final, where they were taken to their limits in a 2-0 victory against Team DogChamp, with match 1 lasting 75 minutes and match 2 lasting just under an hour. In the Grand Finals, they faced B8, who had dispatched DogChamp in the Lower Bracket Final with more ease than nouns did. nouns dominated games 1 and 2, but Dendi's unorthodox Witch Doctor in game 3 gave nouns a scare, although they were able to close out the game, granting Gunnar his debut at The International.

At The International 2023, nouns were drawn in a group with LGD Gaming, Gaimin Gladiators, Virtus.pro and beastcoast, where they finished 3rd-4th with a 0-3-1 score, avoiding elimination. However, they were drawn against Tundra Esports, winners of the previous International, and few gave them a chance. With a spot in the Upper Bracket at stake, nouns unexpectedly upset Tundra 2-0. Gunnar played a key role with his mid Earthshaker in game 1 providing vital Fissure blocks to stop Tundra's momentum when things looked bad, and a key game-ending Echo Slam in conjunction with Moo's Witch Doctor's Death Ward.[5]

However, nouns were next knocked to the Lower Bracket by Azure Ray in convincing fashion. In the Lower Bracket, nouns faced TSM, with Gunnar playing a sacrificial playmaking Earth Spirit in both games in a tense 2-0 victory. With top 8 secured, nouns next faced Gaimin Gladiators, the dominant team in the Dota Pro Circuit that year — and unfortunately, it showed, as Gaimin Gladiators faced few issues sweeping them aside 2-0.

Moving to the offlane[edit]

Since 7.31, offlaners had become significantly more important to team strategy, culminating in The International 2022 (7.32c), where Wraith Pact had become a strong meta item, often built by the offlaner. Around this time, Gunnar usually filled in as an offlaner in pubs when he did not get his usual mid role, and began to enjoy the experience, although he remained as a midlaner for the next season. After The International 2023, however, nouns were unable to find any good offlaners, seen as the least-played role in the professional scene. As a result, Gunnar shifted to the offlane,[1] replacing Moo, and the team signed Stormstormer (on a trial basis) and later Copy to replace Gunnar in the midlane. However, nouns' season was rough, frequently stopped by favorites Shopify Rebellion in qualifiers, with BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 qualifiers being a notable exception. In tournaments where they did qualify to (often when Shopify Rebellion skipped the tournament or were invited), nouns' performances were lacking, failing to get past the first phase.

Towards the end of the season, Gunnar and nouns prepared for the qualifiers for Riyadh Masters 2024 and The International 2024, where they were overwhelmingly slated to meet rivals Shopify Rebellion in the Grand Finals, and likely be beaten. This was despite Shopify Rebellion switching their offlaner (mc for SabeRLight-): although there were chemistry issues with SabeRLight-, the addition of International winner mc provided a formidable challenge. However, nouns pulled off an upset 3-2 Grand Finals win in the Riyadh Masters qualifiers, only their second series win against Shopify Rebellion, and third when considering their records as 4 Zoomers and Evil Geniuses. This was followed by a dominant 3-0 win in The International 2024 qualifiers, granting Gunnar his second consective qualification to The International in two different positions. Much like the rest of his team, Gunnar delivered in-game, particularly on his Magnus in game 3, where several crucial Skewers and Reverse Polarities netted his team key kills and negated Shopify Rebellion's early-game momentum.

Talent career[edit]

Gunnar made his talent debut at as an analyst The International 2019, to mixed feedback.[6] However, his confidence grew as he matured as a player and streamer in subsequent years, later returning to talent work to much warmer reception. He worked as a guest commentator in early-2021 during the North America Regional League, alongside Trent and Lyrical, providing a professional player's insight alongside the usual casting duo. He reprised the same role at the Arlington Major, The International 2022 and The International 2023.

At the Bali Major, Gunnar made his debut in a part of a standard commentating duo, as the color commentator alongside ODPixel and Cap in different series.

Trivia[edit]

  • When he was 14 or 15, his Dota 2 username was a random one, and he realized that it would sound bad if he made it as a professional and casters had to say his name. His mother suggested "Gunnar", the name of his pet dog when he was much younger, the name he retains until today.[1]
  • Reached 11,000 MMR on April 18, 2023.[7]
  • Reached 13,000 MMR on September 28, 2024.[8]

Statistics[edit]

  • Had the highest average kills per game (9.94) during Season 1 of the 2021 DPC NA Upper Division.

Achievements[edit]

  • As Player
  • As Broadcast Talent
  • Show All
DatePlaceTierTournamentTeamResultPrize
2024-10-125th - 6thTier 2PGL Wallachia Season 2PGL Wallachia Season 2
Nouns EsportsNouns Esports
0 : 2
Natus VincereNatus Vincere
$60,000
2024-09-099th - 12thTier 1The International 2024The International 2024
Nouns EsportsNouns Esports
0 : 2
BetBoom TeamBetBoom Team
$55,483
2024-08-035th - 6thTier 2Elite League Season 2Elite League Season 2Elite League Season 2
Nouns EsportsNouns Esports
1 : 2
BOOM EsportsBOOM Esports
$52,000
2023-10-277th - 8thTier 1The International 2023The International 2023
nounsnouns
0 : 2
Gaimin GladiatorsGaimin Gladiators
$84,489
2023-06-052ndTier 2DPC NA 2023 Tour 3: Division IDPC NA 2023 Tour 3: Division I
nounsnouns
6/-/1Grp S.$28,000
2023-04-033rdTier 2DPC NA 2023 Tour 2: Division IDPC NA 2023 Tour 2: Division I
nounsnouns
4/-/3Grp S.$27,000
2023-01-293rdTier 2DPC NA 2023 Tour 1: Division IDPC NA 2023 Tour 1: Division I
nounsnouns
5/-/2Grp S.$27,000
2022-07-153rdTier 2DPC NA 2021/2022 Tour 3: Division IDPC NA 2021/2022 Tour 3: Division I
nounsnouns
6/-/1Grp S.$27,000
2022-05-291stTier 2BTS Pro Series Season 11: AmericasBTS Pro Series Season 11: Americas
nounsnouns
3 : 1
Team DogChampTeam DogChamp
$16,000
2019-10-203rdTier 2DreamLeague Season 12DreamLeague Season 12
Ninjas in PyjamasNinjas in Pyjamas
1 : 2
Demon SlayersDemon Slayers
$40,000
Extended list of results
DateTierTournamentPositionPartner List
2024-09-15Tier 1The International 2024The International 2024Guest Analyst
2024-05-26Tier 1DreamLeague Season 23DreamLeague Season 23DreamLeague Season 23Caster
2024-02-16Tier 1BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024Guest
2023-10-29Tier 1The International 2023The International 2023Guest Analyst
2023-07-09Tier 1Bali Major 2023Bali Major 2023Guest Commentator–
2023-02-18Tier 2BTS Pro Series Season 14: AmericasBTS Pro Series Season 14: AmericasGuest
2022-10-30Tier 1The International 2022The International 2022Guest
2022-08-14Tier 1PGL Arlington Major 2022PGL Arlington Major 2022Guest
2021-02-28Tier 2DPC NA 2021 Season 1: Upper DivisionDPC NA 2021 Season 1: Upper DivisionGuest Commentator
2019-08-25Tier 1The International 2019The International 2019Analyst
About achievementsBroadcasts from any Tournament

Additional Content[edit]

Interviews[edit]

  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • Show All

Miscellaneous[edit]

Spotlights[edit]

  • 2024
  • 2023
  • Show All

Highlights[edit]

2024

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ It is not clear which "Beyond the Summit" tournament Gunnar is referring to. Between these tournaments, TEAM TEAM played in Qi Invitational Americas (finishing second), ESL One Birmingham 2019 qualifiers (finishing 3rd), and American Avengers Cup (finishing 3rd).

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 sayang (2024-07-06). "Discovering Stories: Nico ‘Gunnar’ Lopez ft. his Mom — “Oh yeah, this game is pretty fun. I remember why I played it so much.”".
  2. ↑ "Kyle Calls Out EE". ESL. 2019-04-21.
  3. ↑ Vignesh Raghuram (2019-04-21). "Gunnar at ESL One Mumbai: "I feel like he didn’t enjoy playing with me."". AFK Gaming.
  4. ↑ Virginia Glaze (2019-04-22). "Dota 2 player under fire for kicking out teammate twice just before Disneyland Paris Major". Dexerto.
  5. ↑ Cale Michael (2023-10-26). "Reigning champion humbled by NA Dota 2 underdog as TI 2023 playoffs take shape". Dot Esports.
  6. ↑ Cale Michael (2019-08-16). "Dota 2 fans criticize casters at The International 2019, say they “cured their insomnia”". Dot Esports.
  7. ↑ Gunnar (2023-04-18). "Got this a few days ago (thanks EU ping)".
  8. ↑ Gunnar (2024-09-28). "at least this one’s only kinda late".
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