Arteezy

Early Promise and Professional Debut

Artour Babaev was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to parents of Russian and Armenian ancestry. His family moved frequently, living in Israel and Armenia before his birth. When he was a young child, the family settled in Vancouver, Canada. Russian was spoken at home, though he later lost the ability to speak it fluently. Before dedicating himself to Dota 2, Babaev was an accomplished StarCraft II player, reaching the Masters league while playing as Protoss.

His prodigious talent in Dota 2 became evident during his teenage years when he reached the highest matchmaking rating on the public leaderboards. This online success led to his first professional opportunity in November 2013. He stood in for Speed Gaming at the MLG Columbus tournament after a teammate encountered visa issues. Arteezy immediately made a strong impact, defeating well-known midlaners like Mushi and Dendi. He led his underdog team to a surprise victory over the all-star roster of Team DK in the finals, announcing his arrival on the world stage.

Forming a Dynasty with Evil Geniuses

In January 2014, Arteezy joined with veterans Universe and Fear, along with former Heroes of Newerth stars ppd and zai, to create the team S A D B O Y S. The squad experienced immediate and dominant success, winning 16 of their first 18 matches and claiming the Electronic Sports Prime Shock Therapy Cup without a loss. Their performance was so compelling that on February 21, 2014, the entire roster was signed by the premier organization Evil Geniuses, forming a new North American flagship team.

The new EG squad attended its first LAN tournament, the Monster Energy Invitational, in March 2014 and won, defeating Cloud9 in a close 3-2 final. This victory, powered significantly by Arteezy's skill, established them as a global force. They earned a direct invitation to The International 2014 after securing top-three finishes at three major LANs, including a first-place finish at The Summit 1 over Team DK. At TI4, while Chinese teams adapted better to the meta, EG still secured a strong third-place finish, earning over $1,038,416 and confirming their elite status.

High-Profile Moves and Team Secret Stint

After internal issues at Evil Geniuses, Arteezy made a major move in December 2014, leaving to join the European superteam Team Secret. On this roster, he transitioned fully to the carry position. The team lived up to its hype, storming to victory at The Summit 3, the Mars Dota League 2015, and ESL One Frankfurt 2015, making them the favorites for The International 2015. However, their campaign at TI5 ended in a disappointing 7th-8th place finish.

Following this result, Arteezy rejoined Evil Geniuses in August 2015, with SumaiL remaining as the midlaner. This reformed EG roster showed promise, finishing in third place at the Frankfurt Major 2015 after losing to the eventual champions, OG. In March 2016, Arteezy and teammate Universe left EG again to rejoin Team Secret, though Universe would return to EG before that year's International while Arteezy stayed with Secret. After the post-TI6 roster shuffle in September 2016, Arteezy returned to Evil Geniuses once more, this time alongside former OG player Cr1t.

Individual Milestones and Tournament Results

Beyond team achievements, Arteezy reached a significant individual milestone in July 2016 when he became the second player in Dota 2 history to achieve a 9,000 matchmaking rating in the online ranked system. The first was Miracle of Team Liquid. This feat underscored his reputation for mechanical skill and game understanding.

His tournament results in this period were a mix of highs and near misses. With Evil Geniuses, he won The Manila Masters in 2017, claiming a $125,000 first prize. The team also finished second at Dota Pit Season 4 and third at the Shanghai Major 2016. However, The International remained elusive. EG finished 9th-12th at TI7 despite a direct invite, leading to roster changes. The peak of his TI journey came in 2018 when he and EG finished in third place at The International 2018, matching his best result from 2014.

The International Journey and Later Career

Arteezy's quest for the Aegis of Champions is a defining narrative. After his third-place finishes in 2014 and 2018, he achieved a 5th-6th place finish at The International 2019. During that event, he delivered a memorable performance by securing a solo rampage against all five enemy players from Vici Gaming. In July 2018, his team also won the North American Summit 9 tournament.

The following years saw less successful campaigns at TI. The International 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At TI 2021 and TI 2022, Evil Geniuses, with Arteezy, finished 9th-12th on both occasions, with the 2021 run earning $800,400. In November 2022, EG dropped its Dota 2 roster, and Arteezy joined the new organization Shopify Rebellion in December. His first and only TI with Shopify Rebellion was in 2023, where the team underperformed and finished 13th-16th, leading to a squad breakup where only Arteezy and Saberlight remained.

Personal Life and Community Impact

Arteezy's personal life is closely followed by his fans. He has been in a relationship with Chinese content creator, host, and caster Zhang Tiange, known as Dove, since 2017. The couple became engaged on December 29, 2024. His in-game identity has evolved from his famous nickname, which originated from a name a friend called him in the eighth grade. He later changed it to the Chinese characters for Tiange, a tribute to his fiancée. Despite this, the community overwhelmingly knows him as Arteezy or RTZ, with the phrase 2EZ4RTZ becoming a popular meme during his peak.

Parallel to his competitive career, Arteezy has been a major figure in streaming. He began streaming on Twitch in 2014 and grew into one of the platform's most popular Dota 2 personalities, building a massive and dedicated audience that followed his professional matches and personal broadcasts.

Stepping Back from Professional Play

After Shopify Rebellion failed to qualify for The International 2024, Arteezy announced he was stepping down from the team's active roster to focus entirely on streaming and content creation. This decision marked a significant shift after over a decade at the top of professional play. The transition was finalized in April 2025 when he announced he was no longer affiliated with Shopify Rebellion.

This move concluded a long professional career defined by skill, high expectations, and a central role in North American Dota 2. While his active pursuit of The International championship has ended, he is remembered as a player and his connection to the global Dota 2 community continues through his streaming presence.