Arteezy

Early life and entry into gaming

Artour Babaev was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to parents of Russian and Armenian ancestry. His family immigrated to Canada when he was a toddler, eventually settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. Russian was spoken at home during his childhood, though he later noted that a lack of practice left him only able to understand the language, not speak or write it fluently. Before dedicating himself to Dota 2, Babaev was an accomplished player of StarCraft II, where he played the Protoss race and achieved the Masters league rank. This early competitive experience in a demanding real-time strategy game provided a foundation for the mechanical skill and strategic understanding he would later bring to Dota. His transition to Dota 2 began with the original Defence of the Ancients (DotA) mod, where his talent quickly became apparent as he climbed the public matchmaking rankings to the top spot, signalling his potential before his professional debut.

Professional career beginnings (2013 to 2014)

Arteezy's professional debut came unexpectedly on November 22, 2013, when he stood in for Speed Gaming player bOne7, who had visa issues, at the MLG Columbus tournament. This breakout performance immediately marked him as a prodigious talent and a player capable of competing with the world's best. In January 2014, he co-founded a new team called S A D B O Y S with veterans Universe and Fear and former Heroes of Newerth players ppd and zai. The squad found immediate success, winning 16 of their first 18 matches and capturing the Electronic Sports Prime Shock Therapy Cup without a single loss, an impressive feat for a newly formed team.

This promising roster was quickly signed by the major esports organization Evil Geniuses (EG) on February 21, 2014, forming a new North American flagship team. They cemented their status by winning their first LAN tournament, the Monster Energy Invitational, on March 7, 2014, with a 3-2 victory over Cloud9 in the finals. Arteezy's individual prowess was a key factor in EG's rapid ascent to the top tier of global Dota. The team's strong results, including a first-place finish at The Summit 1 over Team DK, earned them a direct invitation to The International 2014 (TI4), the world championship. Although considered a favourite, EG placed third at the tournament, earning $1,038,416 and establishing Arteezy as a world-class competitor before his 18th birthday.

Team transitions and competitive peaks (2015 to 2019)

Following internal issues at EG, Arteezy left the team in December 2014 to join the European-based Team Secret. Switching to the carry role, he helped the team dominate several major tournaments in early 2015, including The Summit 3, Mars Dota League 2015, and ESL One Frankfurt 2015, taking first place at each and establishing themselves as the favourites for The International 2015. Team Secret ultimately finished in 7th-8th place at TI5, a disappointing result given their earlier dominance. Following this, in August 2015 he rejoined Evil Geniuses as the carry, with SumaiL continuing in the mid-lane position. This new Evil Geniuses roster finished in third place at the Frankfurt Major 2015 despite a strong showing early in the tournament, losing to the eventual winners OG.

EG again finished third at the Shanghai Major 2016 and second at Dota Pit Season 4. On March 22, 2016, Arteezy and teammate Universe left the team to join Team Secret once more, though Universe later re-joined EG before that year's International. In September 2016, Babaev left Secret during the post-TI roster shuffle, returning to Evil Geniuses again with former Team OG player Cr1t-. During this period, in July 2016, he achieved a significant individual milestone by becoming the second player in Dota 2 history to reach a matchmaking rating (MMR) of 9,000, following Team Liquid's Miracle-.

The competitive highlights with EG continued in 2017 with a first-place finish at The Manila Masters tournament, winning the $125,000 first prize. The team's performance at The International 2017 was less successful, finishing 9th-12th, which led to roster changes including the departure of player Zai. His best overall result at the world championship came in August 2018 when Evil Geniuses secured third place at The International 2018, matching his finish from 2014. The following year, at The International 2019, EG finished 5th-6th. A memorable moment from that tournament was Arteezy achieving a solo rampage, defeating all five enemy players from Vici Gaming single-handedly in one game, a rare feat on the professional stage.

• March 2015: Wins The Summit 3 with Team Secret.
• June 2015: Wins ESL One Frankfurt 2015 with Team Secret.
• July 2016: Becomes second player to reach 9,000 MMR.
• May 2017: Wins The Manila Masters ($125,000) with Evil Geniuses.
• August 2018: Finishes 3rd at The International 2018 with Evil Geniuses.
• August 2019: Achieves a solo rampage versus Vici Gaming at The International 2019.

Later career with Evil Geniuses and Shopify Rebellion (2020 to 2025)

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the postponement of The International 2020 until 2021. When the tournament was held in October 2021, Arteezy and Evil Geniuses finished in the 9th-12th place range, earning $800,400. The team repeated this exact placement at The International 2022 in October. On November 15, 2022, Evil Geniuses announced it was dropping its entire Dota 2 roster, ending Arteezy's long and storied tenure with the organization. On December 9, 2022, he joined the newly formed Canadian-based team, Shopify Rebellion.

His tenure with Shopify Rebellion proved challenging. At The International 2023 in Seattle, the team finished in 13th-16th place, a result considered below expectations for the squad. The poor performance led to a roster splintering, leaving only Arteezy and Saberlight with the organization by the end of the year. The team failed to qualify for The International 2024, prompting Arteezy to announce in late 2024 that he was stepping down from the active competitive roster to focus on streaming and content creation. In April 2025, he formally announced he was no longer affiliated with Shopify Rebellion, concluding his professional playing career. His career trajectory with Shopify Rebellion included several key events.

• December 9, 2022: Joins Shopify Rebellion after EG releases roster.
• October 2023: Finishes 13th-16th at The International 2023 with Shopify Rebellion.
• Late 2024: Announces step down from active roster after failing to qualify for TI12.
• April 2025: Announces departure from Shopify Rebellion organization.

Streaming, online persona, and personal life

Alongside his competitive career, Arteezy has been a prolific streamer on Twitch since 2014, building one of the largest and most dedicated audiences in the Dota 2 community. His streams are characterized by high-level gameplay, insightful commentary, and a direct, often humorous interaction with his chat. His online nickname, 'Arteezy', originated from a friend in the eighth grade who called him that spontaneously. He later changed his in-game name to '天鸽' (Tiange), a reference to his fiancée, Dove. Despite this change, the community and broadcasters almost universally continue to refer to him as Arteezy or by the abbreviation RTZ. The phrase '2EZ4RTZ' became a popular meme within the community, often used to comment on his dominant performances during his peak competitive years.

Arteezy has been in a relationship with Chinese content creator, host, and caster Zhang Tiange, known online as Dove, since 2017. The couple became engaged on December 29, 2024. His personal story of immigration and success as a teenager in a burgeoning esports industry made him a notable figure, particularly within the Canadian gaming community. While intensely private about many aspects of his life, his professional journey and relationship have been part of his public narrative. His decision to step back from professional play was framed as a desire to control his schedule and engage more deeply with his audience through content creation, a path followed by many elite players as their competitive careers evolve.

Career achievements and tournament results

Throughout his career, Arteezy was known for his consistency at the highest level of competition. He achieved numerous top-three finishes at premier tournaments, including third place at The International 2014 and The International 2018. His career is defined by deep runs at Dota 2's world championship, The International, though an elusive title victory remained just out of reach. He also finished third at the Frankfurt Major 2015 and the Shanghai Major 2016, and second at Dota Pit Season 4. The following table outlines his placements at The International across his career, alongside the prize money earned where documented in the public record.

Beyond The International, his key tournament victories and notable performances form a significant part of his legacy in the sport. He won The Manila Masters tournament in 2017 and The Summit 9 in 2018. His individual skill was formally recognized when he became the second player ever to reach the 9,000 MMR milestone in July 2016. This achievement was a benchmark of elite prowess in the game's competitive matchmaking system. He also reached the highest matchmaking rating on the public leaderboards as a teenager.

• MLG Columbus 2013: Wins tournament as stand-in for Speed Gaming, defeating Team DK.
• Monster Energy Invitational 2014: Wins first LAN with new EG roster, 3-2 over Cloud9.
• The Summit 1 (2014): Places first with Evil Geniuses over Team DK.
• ESL One Frankfurt 2015: Places first with Team Secret.
• Frankfurt Major 2015: Places 3rd with Evil Geniuses.
• Shanghai Major 2016: Places 3rd with Evil Geniuses.
• The Manila Masters 2017: Places 1st with Evil Geniuses.
• Summit 9 (July 2018): Wins North American tournament with Evil Geniuses.

Playing style and community impact

Arteezy was renowned for a playing style defined by exceptional mechanical skill, efficient farming patterns, and a deep understanding of the game's economy and meta. His ability to consistently achieve a significant gold and experience advantage in the carry role made him a constant threat and a focal point for his teams' strategies. This skill was evident from his teenage years when he reached the highest matchmaking rating on the public leaderboards, and it remained a consistent feature throughout his professional career. His performances in high-pressure situations, such as his solo rampage at TI9 or his dominant mid-lane debut at MLG Columbus 2013, contributed to a reputation for clutch play that defined many of his most memorable moments.

His impact extended beyond in-game performance to his role as a community figure. As one of the most-watched Dota 2 streamers, he influenced both casual players and aspiring professionals with his gameplay and commentary. The meme '2EZ4RTZ' encapsulated the perception of his skill making difficult games look simple. His frequent team changes, particularly his moves between Evil Geniuses and Team Secret, were major storylines in the esports scene, reflecting his high value as a player. For Canadian esports, his success with a primarily North American team in a globally dominated game provided a point of pride and a benchmark for aspiring players in the region, demonstrating that local talent could compete at the world level.

Questions about Arteezy

Where is Arteezy from?

Arteezy is an Uzbek-Canadian professional Dota 2 player. He was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and moved to Vancouver, Canada, when he was one year old. His family has Uzbek, Russian, and Armenian ancestry. Before moving to Canada, his parents and older brother lived in Israel and Armenia. He is a Canadian citizen who grew up in Vancouver.

Why did Arteezy retire from professional Dota 2?

Arteezy stepped down from professional Dota 2 after his team, Shopify Rebellion, failed to qualify for The International 2024. He announced his departure from the active roster to focus on streaming and content creation. This decision followed a period where his team underperformed, finishing 13th to 16th at The International 2023. He formally ended his affiliation with Shopify Rebellion in April 2025.

What is Arteezy's real name?

Arteezy's real name is Artour Babaev. He is better known by his alias Arteezy, which originated from a nickname given by a friend in the eighth grade. He later used the in-game name '天鸽', meaning Tiange, as a reference to his fiancée, Dove. The player community continues to call him Arteezy or RTZ.

What teams did Arteezy play for?

Arteezy played professionally for multiple teams, most notably Evil Geniuses across several periods between 2014 and 2022. He also played for Team Secret in 2015 and 2016. His last professional team was Shopify Rebellion, which he joined in December 2022. He left Shopify Rebellion in April 2025 after stepping back from competitive play.

What is Arteezy's best finish at The International?

Arteezy's best finish at The International is third place. He achieved this result with Evil Geniuses at The International 2014, taking home over one million dollars. He matched this achievement by finishing third again with Evil Geniuses at The International 2018. Despite being a favourite at several tournaments, he never won the championship.

Is Arteezy still streaming?

Yes, Arteezy is still an online streamer on Twitch. He has been streaming on the platform since 2014 and became one of the most popular streamers in the Dota 2 community. After stepping down from professional play in 2024, he announced he would focus on streaming and content creation. His streaming career continues alongside his other activities.

Sources and further reading

• Arteezy (Wikipedia)
• Arteezy and Aui: Hometown heroes seek big-money win at ... (cbc.ca)

Checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-31.