[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/05\/09\/ai-in-esports\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/05\/09\/ai-in-esports\/","headline":"AI in esports: How generative AI + data analytics help Team Liquid win","name":"AI in esports: How generative AI + data analytics help Team Liquid win","description":"Esports powerhouse Team Liquid partners with SAP to gain insight from massive data sets for competitive edge. ","datePublished":"2025-05-09","dateModified":"2025-05-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/karim-kalogridis\/#Person","name":"Karim Kalogridis","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/karim-kalogridis\/","identifier":888,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/654fe6489d84ef5c8ed4a3ac01060faef6068cf375e012167df368e52570e8ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/654fe6489d84ef5c8ed4a3ac01060faef6068cf375e012167df368e52570e8ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AI-in-esports-FTR-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AI-in-esports-FTR-1.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/05\/09\/ai-in-esports\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IP7_YccMn6w#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IP7_YccMn6w","name":"Game On: The Future of Esports Drafting with AI","description":"For a professional Esports team such as Team Liquid, preparation is key to staying ahead in the game. But with 166 champions to choose from, selecting the optimal five-hero lineup can be a daunting task \u2013 so what if AI could help? Read the following blog post by Dr. Philipp Herzig, SAP's Chief AI Officer, to uncover how we're turning this possibility into reality.\nhttps:\/\/sap.to\/6006jGOJY\n\n#teamliquid #ai #esport #sap","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/IP7_YccMn6w\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/IP7_YccMn6w\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/IP7_YccMn6w\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/IP7_YccMn6w\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/IP7_YccMn6w\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2024-05-01T15:27:31+00:00","duration":"PT1M1S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IP7_YccMn6w","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCVnIv2xF2wyMMCSKv1qF3pA#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCVnIv2xF2wyMMCSKv1qF3pA","name":"SAP","description":"At SAP, our vision is to bring out the best in every business. As\u202fa global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, we stand at the\u202fnexus\u202fof business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted us to bring out their best by uniting business-critical\u202foperations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience.\n\nSAP privacy statement for followers: www.sap.com\/sps\n\nAt SAP, we're committed to fostering meaningful conversations that respect everyone in our community. To maintain a positive environment, we moderate comments that:\n\u2022\tTarget individuals personally, including our employees, customers, or partners\n\u2022\tContain harassing or threatening language\/content\n\u2022\tShare personal information without consent\n\u2022\tPromote misinformation or spam or 3rd-party links\nWe will remove content that violates these guidelines without notice. 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And where milliseconds can make the difference between victory and defeat, Team Liquid\u2014one of the world\u2019s most successful esports organizations\u2014has taken the transformation of raw data to a whole new level.With SAP, they\u2019re building intelligent tools to transform preparation, strategy, and in-game performance. Whether it’s optimizing the draft phase in League of Legends or detecting critical team fights in real time, AI in esports is helping Team Liquid stay one step ahead in the fast-moving world of gaming.Data-driven excellence in esportsWith more than 160 professional players competing in 18 major titles, including Dota 2 and League of Legends, Team Liquid is a powerhouse in esports. The team has won more than 75 premier events and attracted 10 million fans on social media.But success on the global stage requires more than mechanical skill and strategic thinking. It demands precision, preparation, and the ability to adapt instantly.As an innovation partner, SAP provides Team Liquid with cutting-edge AI and analytics tools built on SAP Business Technology Platform powered by SAP HANA Cloud. With these tools, analysts and coaches can extract actionable insights from over 6 million match records in real time.\u201cWe\u2019re not just storing data anymore. We\u2019re making it work for us,” says Victor Goossens, Co-CEO and Founder, Team Liquid.This content is hosted by a third party ( youtu.be ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowAI in esports: Draft like a pro with AI-powered picks and bansQuick primer for non-gamers: In games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, each player controls a unique character\u2014called a “hero” in Dota or a “champion” in League\u2014chosen during the pre-game draft. These characters come with distinct roles, skills, and strategic value, making the draft one of the most decisive moments in a match.In both games, the draft phase involves selecting five heroes per team while banning five others. This is a high-stakes process that can determine the course of a match. But with a pool of more than 120 heroes and bi-weekly game updates, predicting optimal picks and counters can be an analytical nightmare.Previously, Team Liquid relied on time-consuming manual analysis to prepare for drafts. Now, with SAP AI Core and SAP BTP, they\u2019ve developed an AI draft bot that processes 1.6 terabytes of game data\u2014including more than 6,000 pro matches and 1.6 million amateur games\u2014to suggest optimal champion and hero combinations for upcoming matches.This generative AI system visualizes each draft scenario in real time, providing live win-rate probabilities as champions and heroes are picked or banned. The result is faster, smarter, more confident decision-making and approximately 10,000 hours saved per year.\u201cWith the draft bot, we\u2019re simulating matchups we wouldn\u2019t have thought of before. The suggestions often go against intuition\u2014like a chess computer\u2014but they make total sense in the end,” says Mathis \u201cJabbz\u201d Friesel, Dota 2 Analyst for Team Liquid.Automating team fight detection\u00a0Team fights\u2014or, more precisely, high-stakes clashes\u2014between all players, are often where matches are won or lost. But until recently, analyzing them meant manually combing through hours of game footage.With SAP, Team Liquid automated this entire process. The solution detects fights based on player movement, damage output, and proximity, clustering participants and scoring outcomes. It works as fast as the game moves, flagging critical moments instantly.Machine learning models continuously improve the detection accuracy, helping coaches dissect not just what happened, but why it mattered. With more than 16,000 professional games analyzed, Team Liquid can now identify behavioral patterns, refine tactics, and track player performance for competitive advantage\u2014all without lifting a finger.Team Liquid’s coaching staff say the solution helps them see the full picture: Who was involved, what role they played, and how to adapt.      The future of sports: Digital experiences for the win                The future of sports requires great digital experiences that meld physical and online worlds, as well as a deep understanding of fans.      AI in esports gets real resultsBy using advanced technologies, Team Liquid is rewriting the playbook for esports success. What once took a full workday is now done in seconds, freeing up time for what matters most: team development, strategy, practice, and performance.With real-time dashboards, intelligent simulations, and fully integrated analytics, the team is moving from reactive to predictive even proactive gameplay.Here are just a few of the results so far:60x faster draft analysis from 60 minutes to 1 minuteMore than 10,000 analyst hours saved annually across draft preparation and team fight detection$250,000 projected cost savings from automation and improved efficiencyMore than 6 million matches analyzed, including real-time insights from live gamesAs esports continues to evolve, AI will play a central role in forecasting strategies, recognizing trends, and recommending next moves. As Team Liquid demonstrates, when talent meets technology, it’s game on.  Ready, set, transform.Join us for SAP Sapphire in Orlando, Madrid, or online."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"05","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/\/05\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/\/05\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"AI in esports: How generative AI + data analytics help Team Liquid win","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2025\/05\/09\/ai-in-esports\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]