Natus Vincere midlaner Artem Niku Bachkur has taken first place in the European Dota 2 matchmaking rankings, surpassing PARIVISION carry Alan Satanic Galliamov. This was announced in Valve's official global rankings.
Niku, 17, has long been a consistent performer at the top of the EU ladder. In February 2026, he reached 17,000 MMR and was third in Europe, behind Aurora's Satanic and Nightfall. Incidentally, he reached this new milestone in just a few months.
In turn, PARIVISION's 18-year-old Satanic also consistently occupies a leading spot in the rankings. For example, there was even a rumor that his DreamLeague 29 championship had "broken the curse" of being number one, as pro players had previously joked that it was difficult to win a major tournament from a top-ranked position. Remarkably, Satanic not only won the cup, but also dropped from first place after lifting the trophy.
Note: Valve's Dota 2 ladder is updated hourly. At the time of writing, Niku remains in first place, but the leading positions may change within 24 hours. The current ladder can be found here.
