COMPUTER BILD SPIELE (CBS):

Joakim Akterhall („Akke“): First we have been playing for a very long time. Our team is a combination of varied new players. Last year there haven’t been so many top-teams on me and Loda who have been playing together for ten years. We’re being part of big teams since seven or six years ago, so we know how teams works, what you need to do. I think what made us very strong is that we have a good combination of different players and we fit very well.

Jonathan Berg („Loda“): I agree with that. It’s about fitting on the level of the game and outside of the game as well, personality wise. Of course it’s always about hard work and dedication and always putting the team and game first in all situations.

What does it take to become the best „Dota 2“-team in the world?First we have been playing for a very long time. Our team is a combination of varied new players. Last year there haven’t been so many top-teams on me and Loda who have been playing together for ten years. We’re being part of big teams since seven or six years ago, so we know how teams works, what you need to do. I think what made us very strong is that we have a good combination of different players and we fit very well.I agree with that. It’s about fitting on the level of the game and outside of the game as well, personality wise. Of course it’s always about hard work and dedication and always putting the team and game first in all situations.

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CBS: How does your daily schedule look like? Are you living together or are you living at your own houses?

Loda : Right now we live together in a team house. But it differs a little bit if all five players stay at the team house at the same time. Right now four of us live at the team house, Akke lives quite close by. It’s our job, we come here every day as going into the office. We practice from 2 pm to 11 pm, plus minus a few hours.

Akke: Now we are practicing for a lot of very big tournaments. After TI we had a small break where we haven’t practiced that much. Right now we are trying to give it all and trying to win the ESL One and TI.



CBS: What has changed for you since winning the TI? That was a big one ...

Loda: Before the TI you always had this goal and you really tried hard to beat every single other team to be the strongest team. And then right after TI we certainly became the most hunted team.

Akke: Especially after TI it didn’t felt like we would be in a situation like that. And now, six months later I could say that it affects you a lot that you actually won because you think: Sure, if we won we will be the best again if we practice a bit more. But that’s wrong. You have to make bigger changes than just practice a bit more.

Loda: Last year you strived all the time doing practice, doing training. You strived to come up with all these new things and look at the game in a different way in order to change your play style. You are practicing really hard to become a stronger team because once you have been the best team you kind of feel that all you have to do, is keep playing a lot and you will be the best. But in reality you need to get a completely new mindset again and understand that we’re actually not the best but we have to become the best again.

How does your daily schedule look like? Are you living together or are you living at your own houses?: Right now we live together in a team house. But it differs a little bit if all five players stay at the team house at the same time. Right now four of us live at the team house, Akke lives quite close by. It’s our job, we come here every day as going into the office. We practice from 2 pm to 11 pm, plus minus a few hours.Now we are practicing for a lot of very big tournaments. After TI we had a small break where we haven’t practiced that much. Right now we are trying to give it all and trying to win the ESL One and TI.What has changed for you since winning the TI? That was a big one ...Before the TI you always had this goal and you really tried hard to beat every single other team to be the strongest team. And then right after TI we certainly became the most hunted team.Sure, everyone is kind of aiming on beating you. The other problem is: When you are already kind of the best it’s somehow hard to find the same motivation. It took a few months, but i think now we’re in a quite good place and our practice is going quite fine. But for a while the last year especially was quite hard.Especially after TI it didn’t felt like we would be in a situation like that. And now, six months later I could say that it affects you a lot that you actually won because you think: Sure, if we won we will be the best again if we practice a bit more. But that’s wrong. You have to make bigger changes than just practice a bit more.Last year you strived all the time doing practice, doing training. You strived to come up with all these new things and look at the game in a different way in order to change your play style. You are practicing really hard to become a stronger team because once you have been the best team you kind of feel that all you have to do, is keep playing a lot and you will be the best. But in reality you need to get a completely new mindset again and understand that we’re actually not the best but we have to become the best again.

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CBS: The hardest thing for a successful boxer is to stay at the top ...

Loda: Exactly. It’s easier to work really hard to achieve a certain goal. But after you reached that, you want to repeat it. Our goal is to win one more time the TI because then you will be the best team ever. But still, you really have to motivate yourself and each other.

Akke: Everyone wants to win again now, because it’s getting closer to TI and it is getting more and more serious. The price for this year is three or four times bigger than last year, so if we don’t win this time we aren’t the richest team anymore like we were last year. (laughs)



CBS: Do you feel that other teams play anti-strategies to you? That those teams are closer to you now because they know what The Alliance is doing and how they can counter that?

Akke: I think this year there are more and more teams that get better and better. The gap between

Loda: The winning teams will be the one that understands anothers game the best and their strategies. Since we had a very effective play style last year, everyone will aim towards countering those strategies. It made sense for people to find counters to our play style.



CBS: At Frankfurt leading to the ESL One, is this the first time you will play in Germany?

Akke: I don’t think I ever played in Germany before.

Loda: I played once in Germany in „Dota“ at Gamescom, five or four years ago.



CBS: This will be in a huge stadium with about 50.000 people watching. Is this kind of a special pressure for you, a situation that is unusual?

Akke: Oh, I guessed the stadium is a lot bigger! But we played for such a long time on so many events that this doesn’t affect us in any way.

Loda: I just hope that our booths are soundproof enough. If there are a lot of people and they are screaming it can be quite chaotic to focus on the game.

The hardest thing for a successful boxer is to stay at the top ...Exactly. It’s easier to work really hard to achieve a certain goal. But after you reached that, you want to repeat it. Our goal is to win one more time the TI because then you will be the best team ever. But still, you really have to motivate yourself and each other.Everyone wants to win again now, because it’s getting closer to TI and it is getting more and more serious. The price for this year is three or four times bigger than last year, so if we don’t win this time we aren’t the richest team anymore like we were last year. (laughs)Do you feel that other teams play anti-strategies to you? That those teams are closer to you now because they know what The Alliance is doing and how they can counter that?I think this year there are more and more teams that get better and better. The gap betweenthe best teams and middle-class-teams gets smaller. Last year after we won TI and also before, everyone had an eye on us. They wanted to see how we play and how to counter us.The winning teams will be the one that understands anothers game the best and their strategies. Since we had a very effective play style last year, everyone will aim towards countering those strategies. It made sense for people to find counters to our play style.At Frankfurt leading to the ESL One, is this the first time you will play in Germany?I don’t think I ever played in Germany before.I played once in Germany in „Dota“ at Gamescom, five or four years ago.This will be in a huge stadium with about 50.000 people watching. Is this kind of a special pressure for you, a situation that is unusual?Oh, I guessed the stadium is a lot bigger! But we played for such a long time on so many events that this doesn’t affect us in any way.I just hope that our booths are soundproof enough. If there are a lot of people and they are screaming it can be quite chaotic to focus on the game.