Podcast video topics and time stamps:

2:05 Welcoming OG to Canada

3:38 Who do you want to punch in the face?

8:33 Memories of switching from HoN to Dota

11:24 How is the bootcamp going?

14:41 Taking a break with KitKat

21:02 The ideal Major format

22:47 Rapid fire questions

With The International 2017 set to kick off in a few days, theScore esports Podcast went to OG's training camp to talk to the reigning Major champions about their preparation for the biggest Dota tournament of the year and the ideal format for Majors.

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As the only team to win Valve events over the past season, becoming the first team to win back-to-back Valve events in the process. Heading into TI7, OG are the favorites for many to win the entire event, and the team has been bootcamping in Ontario to live up to those expectations. And while the bootcamp has been going smoothly, team captain Ta' "Fly" Aizik revealed that the team decided not to play Dota for a few days in order to recharge.

"It's been going good," Fly said. "The first days we came here we didn't play Dota, but we started our weekly practice. So so far it's been good, most of the teams are here in NA besides, obviously the Chinese teams, so it makes it a lot easier."

"It doesn't matter, east or west coast, we can both play US East or US West so it's all good," Fly continued. "Most of the teams are here. In fact, most of the teams left in Europe are the ones who are looking like they're running out of opponents. I know teams like Virtus.pro, they're not in America and they're struggling to find scrim partners because everybody is moving here."

Prior to TI7, Valve announced that they would be changing the current Major system by working closely with third-party organizers. During the 2016-2017 season, Valve sponsored two Majors using a single elimination format, which many players and fans disliked.

And though OG would won the two Valve events under the single elimination system, the team agrees that the single elimination format was bad for competition, according to Jesse "JerAx" Vainikka.

"For me, when the group stage doesn't really have an effect on the actual tournament, like everybody gets through and everybody gets split between single elim, I think it's wrong for the teams that do well in the group stage," he said.

"Because all those teams that did well, I think they deserve to have an edge on the other people. There is also the people who don't win any games in the groups stage, and then they are thrown in the single elim, I feel like something is off there. I think this TI, the group format is much better than previous Majors, and I think those were just a testing ground on what could happen if we do a certain kind of format."

OG's carry Johan "N0tail" Sunstein voiced similar thoughts, stating that single elimination formats prevent teams from adjusting or recovering from what could have been one or two bad games, which a double elimination bracket avoids.

"I think generally that the better teams in Dota and the teams that aim to be solid and aim for domination in the scene, they are all going to say double elim is better," n0tail said. "Because I think it's about adjusting and it's about learning. Everyone can have a bad day, so when you have a single elimination tournament that's big, that might favor these teams that aren't as strong or aren't as good."

Though OG are well known for their Major victories, that doesn't mean that team has been consistently winning. Most notably, OG were shockingly eliminated from TI6 by TNC Pro Team in the second round of the lower bracket, and the team has often struggled to win tournaments that are non-Valve events.

For Fly, these experiences have motivated him to continue to improve, and his search for a new goal lines up perfectly with OG's next potential conquest at TI7

"I think I've only been improving for a very long time now," Fly said. "I definitely think what it takes is to keep setting yourself up for a new goal. That's what matters the most to me. If I have a new goal, that means I'm going to have more motivation, I'm going to work towards that and it's going to help me. And sometimes what happens, when you win something big, your motivation gets lower for the next thing, and if that happens you're probably going to end up losing. So you have to find a new way to ignite the fire again. That's what I've learned over the years."

Preston Dozsa is a news editor for theScore esports. You can follow him on Twitter.