Davai Lama

From Liquipedia Dota 2 Wiki
[e][h]HEROICHEROIC Davai Lama
Player Information
Name:
Cedric Alexander Deckmyn
Nationality:
Born:
August 3, 2000 (age 25)
Region:
Europe Europe
Years Active (Player):
2014,
2019 - Present
Team:
Alternate IDs:
Davai
Approx. Total Winnings:
$240,437
Signature Hero:
Timbersaw Enchantress Mars
Links
History
2021-04-17 — 2021-12-01 D2 Hustlers
2021-12-01 — 2022-10-24 Wildcard Gaming
2022-12-31 — 2023-02-28 D2 Hustlers
2023-03-11 — 2023-07-22 D1 Hustlers
2023-07-22 — 2023-10-21 Luna Galaxy
2023-10-21 — 2024-01-04 D2 Hustlers
2024-01-04 — 2024-12-28 HEROIC
2025-03-27 — 2025-04-11 OG(Trial)
2025-05-12 — 2025-07-30 Shopify Rebellion
2025-09-20 — Present HEROIC
Recent Matches
HEROIC HEROIC
1:2
(Bo3)
Perú Rejects PEReject
January 9, 2026 - 20:00 PET
SA CQ DreamLeague S28
DreamLeague Season 28: South America Closed QualifierDreamLeague Season 28: South America Closed Qualifier
HEROIC HEROIC
2:0
(Bo3)
Estar Backs EB
January 9, 2026 - 16:00 PET
SA CQ DreamLeague S28
DreamLeague Season 28: South America Closed QualifierDreamLeague Season 28: South America Closed Qualifier
HEROIC HEROIC
2:0
(Bo3)
1w Team 1w
December 15, 2025 - 18:55 CET
DreamLeague S27
DreamLeague Season 27DreamLeague Season 27
HEROIC HEROIC
0:2
(Bo3)
GamerLegionGamerLegion GL
December 14, 2025 - 18:55 CET
DreamLeague S27
DreamLeague Season 27DreamLeague Season 27
HEROIC HEROIC
1:2
(Bo3)
Aurora Gaming Aurora
December 13, 2025 - 18:55 CET
DreamLeague S27
DreamLeague Season 27DreamLeague Season 27
Upcoming Tournaments
DreamLeague/28/South_AmericaDreamLeague/28/South_America DreamLeague Season 28: South America Closed Qualifier
ONGOING!
Jan 09 - 11

Cedric "Davai Lama" Deckmyn (born August 3, 2000) is a Belgian/American player who is currently playing for HEROIC.

Biography

[edit]

Entering the professional scene

[edit]

Deckmyn was born in the United States and lives in Flanders, Belgium.[1] During his teenage years, he played Warcraft III and a bit of StarCraft. He one day discovered a random YouTube video by Purge who was teaching Markiplier, a Let's Play YouTuber, how to play the game, and Deckmyn himself became interested in the game, to the extent that after a month or so of play, during a two-week family vacation, all he could think about was when he could go back to play Dota. At the time, one of his favorite heroes was Magnus. He cites his competitive nature as a possible reason why he enjoyed Dota so much.[2]

At 15, Davai Lama was learning Russian, in order to understand what was being said in his pubs. He frequently heard the term "давай" (English: "Let's go", pronounced "davai") in his games, and Deckmyn thought it would be "brilliant" to mix "davai" with the "Dalai Lama", leading to the birth of his nickname, "Davai Lama". By 2024, many of his friends and colleagues referred to him as "Lama", more often than his real name.[3]

While at University, studying History for a year-and-a-half, Davai Lama continued to play the game, reaching the top 100 on the European leaderboards. Speaking to his parents about pursuing a potential career in esports, his mother was supportive, but asked him to be realistic, whilst his father was more skeptical, believing he should focus on his studies. However, he eventually chose to quit his studies to go full-time in Dota 2, such were its demands. One of his first tournaments was a "random LAN in France", which he enjoyed.[2]

Dota Pro Circuit

[edit]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Davai Lama played for various stacks in Europe, slowly building his reputation within the scene. His first notable tournament win was in Epulze Global League Season 1: Europe - Division 1 with Hehe united, an all-Benelux team. He qualified to OMEGA League: Europe Divine Division with 5Comrades, facing several challenger teams in the European and CIS regions, although his team finished last.

When the Dota Pro Circuit returned in 2021, Davai Lama first attempted to qualify in Europe with Into The Breach, but was unable to do so. He then chose to shift to North America, forming a team known as OQ Hustlers (Open Qualifier Hustlers), with former teammate Yuma. He committed himself to get used to the region, shifting his time schedule and matchmaking server to North America.[2] After OQ Hustlers managed to qualify for the Closed Qualifiers, the team renamed itself "CQ Hustlers", and the went one further by qualifying to the Lower Division, once again renaming themselves "D2 Hustlers" (Division 2 Hustlers). In the Lower Division, D2 Hustlers swept away the competition, going 7-0 and dropping only a single game all season (to Arkosh Gaming), who were promoted to the Upper Division alongside them. The North America Qualifiers to The International 2021, however, were disappointing, as the team was sent to the Lower Bracket by simply TOOBASED, and then eventually eliminated by Arkosh Gaming. He later cited his experiences with Sammyboy as being incredibly important to him, having learnt so much from him.[2]

For the next season of the Dota Pro Circuit, the roster was acquired by Wildcard Gaming. The team reshuffled dramatically, with Davai Lama as the slot owner, gaining four new teammates in Yamsun, esK, Alexxo and Sammyboy. Wildcard Gaming established itself as a mid-table team, but noticeably behind Evil Geniuses, TSM, Quincy Crew and nouns. After a year in North America, the team disbanded, but was reconstituted in Europe, acquiring DGG Esports' slot in Western Europe Division II. The team appropriately renamed themselves back to "D2 Hustlers". In Tour 2, he was reunited with Yuma, and the team was able to qualify for Division I with a 5-2 score, and fittingly, renamed themselves "D1 Hustlers". However, D1 Hustlers struggled with the stronger competition, finishing in the relegation places with a 2-5 score, only saved by Valve revealing the end of the Dota Pro Circuit.

Towards the end of the final Tour of the Dota Pro Circuit, D1 Hustlers were acquired by Luna Galaxy. In the Western European qualifiers to The International 2023, Luna Galaxy were able to make a strong run, beating Level UP and then Quest Esports. However, agonisingly, Luna Galaxy could not cross the finishing line. They were beaten 2-0 by Entity in the Upper Bracket Final, and then lost 2-0 to Quest Esports in the Lower Bracket Final, missing out on qualification to The International 2023. Despite the setback, Luna Galaxy managed a win in Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes #3 — the team's first tournament win, and second in European Pro League Season 12. The roster was then released by Luna Galaxy, but as D2 Hustlers, the team bounced back with a win in European Pro League Season 13. Without a sponsor and no Dota Pro Circuit to keep the team together, however, D2 Hustlers eventually broke up, with Davai Lama as the last player to leave, joining HEROIC as they debuted in Dota 2.

HEROIC

[edit]

HEROIC's roster was one of the strongest in South America, featuring the prominent players K1, 4nalog, Scofield and KJ, amongst the best in the region in their positions. As such, HEROIC were able to qualify to multiple tournaments that season, with these tournaments being Davai Lama's first Tier 1 tournaments. Scofield did not speak English, and the team's plan was to communicate in Spanish; Davai Lama had spent one year learning it in high school, but this was not sufficient to communicate effectively with the team. As such, he spent five hours a week taking private lessons in Spanish, eventually reaching some form of familiarity.[2] This would be Davai Lama's sixth language.[3]

However, HEROIC's performances were rarely able to break the middle of the pack. Davai Lama considered their consistency to be a form of success, although it was not without its frustrations, such as one moment in ESL One Birmingham 2024, where KJ had a rough game, and became frustrated; after losing, Davai Lama too became frustrated in return, exclaiming "why do I have Sammyboy on my team?", with this being caught on camera.[4] Davai Lama later explained that Sammyboy would often get frustrated in matches as well, but that he had a lot of respect for both Sammyboy and KJ, and that this was later resolved.[2] At The International 2024, having qualified by beating beastcoast in the Qualifiers, HEROIC finished 9th-12th.

The following season, K1 left the team, and was temporarily replaced by Yuma as a stand-in. His eventual long-term replacement was the enigmatic Parker. Parker's talent was not in question, but his temperament and attitude were. Despite initial misgivings, the team managed to qualify for DreamLeague Season 24, with Davai Lama celebrating by leaping into a pool from the first floor of the team house.[5] In PGL Wallachia Season 2, having been invited, HEROIC made a comfortable run in the Swiss Stage, going 3-0. In the Playoffs, Parker was in inspired form, leading his team to victory against Tundra Esports, with Davai Lama providing the perfect foil. They lost 1-2 to Team Falcons in the Upper Bracket Final, but bounced back to beat Tundra Esports once again, and gained revenge over Team Falcons in the Grand Final with a 3-1 win. This represented South America's first LAN win, and a powerful upset win over Team Falcons, who had won multiple Tier 1 tournaments the previous season, and finished 4th in The International 2024.

What could have been a springboard for the team became a nightmare. The next tournament, DreamLeague Season 24, saw HEROIC disappoint, finishing 13th-14th. The team then failed to qualify to ESL One Bangkok 2024, losing to beastcoast 2-3 in disappointing fashion. The team struggled with disagreements in team strategy, and Parker was accused of not trying to win as a result.[6] Parker hit back a day later, saying he had disagreed with coach kaffs, alleged preferential treatment towards their Brazilian players (4nalog and KJ), and called for Davai Lama to be replaced.[7] Davai Lama later said he regretted how things went down.[2] At BLAST Slam I, Parker was replaced by Yuma on an interim basis. Davai Lama said he struggled with sleep in the Group Stages, and the team lost all four of their Group Stage matches, and HEROIC eventually finished joint-last. Just after Christmas, he was then abruptly informed that HEROIC had made a deal to acquire Wisper from OG to replace him.[2]

Return to Western Europe

[edit]

After leaving HEROIC, Davai Lama returned to Western Europe, with Night Pulse. In the more competitive region, opportunities were rarer, with a sole appearance at FISSURE Universe: Episode 4 being his only major appearance with the team. Nevertheless, Night Pulse did manage to pick up second in CCT Series 6 and first in CCT Series 7, meeting NAVI Junior in both Grand Finals. He later joined OG on trial, although in acrimonious circumstances, with Night Pulse alleging that they had signed new contracts with the team, but Davai Lama and Kidaro sabotaged the process in order to join OG.[8] His stint with OG was unsuccessful, however, with the team failing to make it out of Open Qualifiers to DreamLeague Season 26, and poor results in CCT Series 8 and FISSURE Special.

After his trial ended, he joined Shopify Rebellion, in a return to a North American team. In his first tournament with the team, FISSURE Universe: Episode 5 Play-In, the team finished second, qualifying for the main tournament.

Trivia

[edit]
  • Enjoys throat singing in his spare time.[9]
  • Studied Russian at university.[10]
  • Speak six languages; Dutch, English, French, Spanish, German, and Russian.[11]
  • First Belgian player to compete in The International.
  • Reached 10,000 MMR on May 2, 2022.[12]
  • Reached 11,000 MMR on October 19, 2023.[13]
  • Reached 12,000 MMR on December 31, 2023.[14]
  • Reached 13,000 MMR on July 16, 2024.[15]
  • Reached 14,000 MMR on August 26, 2024.[16]
  • Reached 15,000 MMR on April 11, 2025.[17]
  • Reached 16,000 MMR on July 27, 2025.[18]
    • Toggle MMR milestones

Achievements

[edit]
DatePlaceTierTournamentTeamResultPrize
2025-11-217th - 8thTier 1PGL Wallachia Season 6PGL Wallachia Season 6
0 : 2
$40,000
2025-11-083rd - 4thTier 1BLAST Slam IVBLAST Slam IVBLAST Slam IV
0 : 2
$60,000
2025-10-121stTier 2FISSURE Universe: Episode 7FISSURE Universe: Episode 7
3 : 1
$125,000
2025-03-071stTier 3CCT Series 7CCT Series 7
3 : 2
$30,000
2024-11-287th - 8thTier 1BLAST Slam IBLAST Slam IBLAST Slam I
1 : 2
$40,000
2024-10-131stTier 2PGL Wallachia Season 2PGL Wallachia Season 2
3 : 1
$300,000
2024-09-109th - 12thTier 1The International 2024The International 2024
1 : 2
$55,483
2024-05-247th - 8thTier 1DreamLeague Season 23DreamLeague Season 23DreamLeague Season 23
0 : 2
$47,500
2024-04-267th - 8thTier 1ESL One Birmingham 2024ESL One Birmingham 2024
1 : 2
$47,500
2023-09-171stTier 2Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes #3Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes #3Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes #3
3 : 1
$22,000
Extended list of results

Additional Content

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Interviews

[edit]
  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2022
  • Show All

Miscellaneous

[edit]

Spotlights

[edit]
2024

Highlights

[edit]
2024
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Davai Lama (2023-04-28). "Ik ben enkel in de VS geboren zè, ik woon momenteel in Merchtem [I was born in the US, I currently live in Merchtem]" (in Netherlands Dutch).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 sayang (2025-02-22). "Discovering Stories: Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn (feat. Felicia) — “If you don’t take it personally, then what are you even doing?”".
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 divushka (2024-03-02). "Davai Lama interview: “You open a lot more opportunities for yourself by learning a new language”". GosuGamers.
  4. ↑ ESL (2024-12-08). "ESL One Birmingham: Unmuted".
  5. ↑ Davai Lama (2024-01-18). "qualified for dreamleague".
  6. ↑ HEROIC Dota 2 (2024-11-20). "Roster update".
  7. ↑ Parker (2024-11-21). "Primeros desacuerdos con el equipo [First disagreements with the team]" (in Spanish Speaking Spanish).
  8. ↑ Night Pulse (2025-04-06). "Официальное заявление Night Pulse относительно последних событий в команде по Dota 2 [Official statement of Night Pulse regarding the latest events in the team on the Dota 2]" (in Russia Russian).
  9. ↑ Davai Lama (2021-06-30). "Let my throat singing be heard in every single game!". Twitter.
  10. ↑ "Interview with Davai Lama in Russian". 2022-05-05.
  11. ↑ divushka (2024-03-02). "Davai Lama interview: “You open a lot more opportunities for yourself by learning a new language”". GosuGamers.
  12. ↑ Davai Lama (2022-05-02). "Mandatory 10k achievement tweet".
  13. ↑ Davai Lama (2023-10-19). "11k!".
  14. ↑ Davai Lama (2023-12-30). "12!!!!!".
  15. ↑ Davai Lama (2024-07-16). "long overdue and definitly not cool anymore but got 13k.".
  16. ↑ Davai Lama (2024-08-26). "First Benelux 14k!".
  17. ↑ Davai Lama (2025-04-11). "5 months late but still counts I hope".
  18. ↑ Davai Lama (2025-07-27). "16 thousand matchmaking rating!".
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