posted by Jaywalker

EHOME

LGD

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This time [The International 2012] the male commentators are DC, 820, 2009 and HaiTao, whilst the female commentators are Miss and Snowkiss. This crew is very strong, and all players are very excited. Inviting six Chinese commentators proves that IceFrog and Valve have great emphasis on China. What are your thoughts on the commentary crew?

It is possible that I could be teamed up with DC and Miss, whilst 820, Haitao and Snowkiss are a team. I am very happy that IceFrog is accommodating towards the passion that Chinese fans have and is putting together such a great commentary crew. Lately I have been watching DC's casting for ACE League, and my professional career in fact began through the words of DC. After countless championships, our friendship has progressed a lot. Many say that co-casting with DC is a challenge; I would like to accept this challenge.

Apart from uploading new DotA videos, are you spending more effort and energy towards Dota 2 now?

Recently I have been obsessed with ACE League, and also following Dota 2 competitions. I just recorded a commentary I did between LGD and Zenith, and hopefully this year's $1.5 million belongs to us!

You recently cast the match between World Elite and Invasion.Red for the IGMM Asia tournament. How has this first Dota 2 cast been for you? To put it simply, what are your impressions and observations of Dota 2?

The first impression was that having the ability to look at Gold and Experience advantages, including the movement of couriers are all very 'humane' changes. I have previously mentioned this before, it is really useful and easy. Apart from that, one of the shortcomings of my cast is on the team fight intricacies, as I do have trouble reacting to skills animations. I believe I will be able to cast at my best ability in Seattle.

Casting now is a warm up for The International, so how do you plan to prepare for casting at TI2?

Watching the best Dota 2 games, finding players to play public games, discussing strategies and different perspectives with top professional teams, and keep trying to create better commentaries.

Although WE managed to advance [in IGMM Asia] 2:1, they lost their first game after gaining a huge gold advantage, and their opponent was not a strong team as well. What is your evaluation of WE's performances, strengths and weaknesses?

WE's strengths is that in early game through the laning of Chan and Fnty, Luo's roaming and understanding of the team WE can establish an early lead. The weakness is that mid-late game there is no clear objective.

WE was not able to win the wildcard slot for the East, but there is a backup team up for grabs, and rumor has it that WE and AEON are fighting for it. What is the current progress?

There is hope that WE will be the second back up team, and if there are no visa issues WE could attend the event.

This year's The International hosts 16 top teams in Dota 2, which team do you favor? What about the performances of Chinese teams?

3 Chinese teams could occupy top 5; the foreign teams that could do well are Zenith, Na`Vi, Orange, Darer, mTw.

There are people saying that training both DotA and Dota 2 leads to a lack of practice in Dota 2. Furthermore, with new heroes ported over every week, strategies and hero picks are ever changing. Teams such as Na`Vi and Zenith are known for having various strategies and hero compositions, and they are the toughest opponents for Chinese teams. Regarding training both games, do you feel that it is a problem?

I think it can be conquered. China will never lack ultimate achievers in games, and the attraction of a $1.5 million prize pool explodes the universe of the invited teams. I believe this year's TI2 will ascertain China's DotA dominance!

There is no question that Dota 2 will be a classic game. But with various issues, Dota 2's popularity in China still faces several obstacles. How do you think Dota 2 will progress in China?

I hate to admit this, but objectively speaking I think LoL players will outnumber Dota 2 players.