dfs Profile Joined June 2010 Russian Federation 2340 Posts Last Edited: 2013-08-17 15:35:09 #1







This is a translated excerpt of the LighTofHeaveN interview by Morf-desihner from prodota.ru on the 10th of August, the third day of The International's main event.



Translator's note: This interview may or may not contain bouts of sarcasm in it.



M - Morf-designer (prodota.ru correspondent and news writer)

LoH - Dmitriy "LighTofHeaveN" Kupriyanov (ex-Na`Vi player, now in Empire, TI3 commentator, Indigo Child)



M: Tell us the Na`Vi story, who made the decision to kick you?

LoH: You may laugh, but that was me. I made the decision. I did this so it looked like I went inactive, but really I just wanted some freedom and a new experience. Even if people play well continuously, eventually they will want to do something new. So I went to look for something new and to find it needs time.



M: What about the contracts? Were people aware of your intentions?

LoH: Yes they were, but I am going to share some good news - fuck the contracts. If you want to play with someone, if you sign your ass under something and then you decide you don't like it then just get your ass out of there. In life you must be somewhere where you feel amazing. Long-term contracts are so-so.



M: Ok. Na`Vi announced that you were staying in the team; were they aware that you were going to leave?

LoH: They thought that if something were to go wrong with Funn1k and Kuroky then *they could simply revert this* (TL translator's note: LoH ends this sentence on an unintelligible word, so this is just my assumption). But as we can see, to place in top 3 at The International you just need to pick Chen + Pudge, that's all. Despite the fact that TongFu played better and did everything right, two heroes stopped them all. When you see that these guys (Na`Vi) can play like that, you understand why they only have two major opponents: TongFu and Alliance.



M: What about the other Chinese teams?

LoH: When I saw LGD.cn play, despite the fact that people were telling me that they are really strong, I just saw five tryhards that never crossed the river. Their top carry Sylar bought a Shadowblade and used it once in 20 minutes. When I say this I understand that the young and proactive players are the ones driving progress ahead, and not the old retirees that like to sit on their ass.



M: Did you follow Vici Gaming? They have a very young roster. Maybe they are the future?

LoH: As tournaments show, yes. There is a big future ahead of them, especially when your support goes to a 1v1 tournament and suddenly destroys all those top carries, Burning, Ferrari, Mushi, everyone and even almost beats his solo-mid teammate. You can see that those guys are quick on the heels of those Asian teams. I believe that they (Vici) deserved to be at The International instead of MUFC, for example, who were invited to this tournament only because they didn't change their roster. Vici Gaming beat half of the China? Who cares, they switched one player! If all 16 teams had changed one player in their roster and Valve chose to invite other teams who didn't change their roster, then we would have had teams like 4FC, all our European teams like those, and The International would have turned to trash.



M: What about Virtus.pro? They changed their roster not so long ago, but they were still invited.

LoH: They changed only one player. They did this just in time and won The Defence 3 right after that. Valve makes those rules, but even they understand that their rules are garbage, and only retirees will play like that. I am sure that the rules will change soon. Right now, unfortunately, LoL is two steps ahead. The only reason Dota 2 is still kicking is because of the gameplay features where you can win 1v5 and because the game is completely free. It's like chess, just sit and play. In LoL you have to farm those chess pieces. Dota 2 is promising.



M: Why did you suddenly started talking about LoL? Have you played it?

LoH: I have a friend that plays it, and I've started to follow some of their tournaments, because, I am sorry, but they are more entertaining to watch. When you look at Dota you see that one team is winning and the other is just pressing 2 buttons, Chen's TP and Pudge's Hook, and then suddenly that team wins the game. You watch it for 20 minutes and wonder, do I really need to watch this? Is it interesting? In LoL, when you have an advantage you just need to correctly press 5-6-7 buttons and then you will win.



M: What is the future, LoL or Dota?

LoH: Right now, because you have to farm runes and heroes in LoL, the future is Dota. People with good rules can appear at any moment and help IceFrog to develop it so Dota will become more balanced. It is a sport. In sport the one who is putting more work in wins. It will probably require more than pressing two buttons on Chen and Pudge. I am sorry for bringing that up again, but I have never seen that someone approached a million dollars so easily. I bet that people will start banning Chen, or Na`Vi will start picking Chen + Pudge in every game, because it is imba.



M: Have you come across any prospective young teams like Vici Gaming here, in Europe? Who will replace our old-school players?

LoH: This is a great secret, because I play with those guys and I like them, so I'll keep it this way until they start to beat the old guys. Young players tend to learn a lot from older players, but our old players are so old that it is better that our young players never hear about them, allowing them to grow by themselves. Like the Swedes. They grow up in their own house with no outside influence, you do what you want. And as we can see Sweden is dominating Europe right now.



M: Do you think it was a step back for yourself, after Na`Vi?

LoH: It is a step forward for me. I understood from the start that when I leave Na`Vi, they will most likely secure top three at The International, because China was deteriorating except for one team. Alliance first, Na`Vi second, and TongFu third. But then, you have money, you have already won those tournaments many times, you've travelled all around the world, and you start thinking, do you want to continue pressing those buttons and waiting for your superior to tell you what to do? No, you want to do things on your own, start a business, do something because you want to, and if you don't like it then you just leave. It is a step forward for me, I became more free and energetic. Now if I go somewhere I do what I want and people choose if they want to deal with me or not.



M: But then you joined Empire as a player, instead of becoming a manager or founding your own team?

LoH: There is something happening in Empire right now, so maybe, someday, people will hear about my dealings in Na`Vi and partially in Empire. When I left Na`Vi I was offered a place there as a manager, but I realised that I would be under a man who has different thoughts to mine, a different speed. ZeroGravity likes to think for the long term, to do things reliably. I like to act quickly, so I went my own way. I understood that there are people out there that support my point of view and like to move as fast as I do, and not necessarily just in Dota. You can do whatever you want, the important thing is that it will be good and interesting for you.



M: You can do anything you want, but if it doesn't make money then you have nothing to live on.

LoH: People that do everything correctly have money. Money finds strong people, because strong people know how to use it. When people see your strengths and abilities they will make an offer themselves. To earn good money, around $5-10k a month, you must know how to do a lot of good things for the world. When I left for two months, I talked with many different businessmen, I understood that you get what you deserve in your life. Enjoy it.



M: What is the money like in Empire? What are their salaries, or does it matter if you get paid there?

LoH: Empire and Na`Vi are going toe-to-toe. Empire is possibly stronger, but they have only just started work with Dota 2, while Na`Vi have been actively working in Dota 2 for three years now with the best team in the world. If the situation was different and those guys were in Empire, not in Na`Vi, then most likely Empire would be the top project in Europe. I am in Empire right now because I see the prospects. Money is important for the young guys, who have just finished school, but for creative people, like me, the freedom in activity is more important. In Na`Vi I was under Puppey, Puppey was under ZeroGravity, and they basically stayed alive thanks to tricks like Chen + Pudge, Ancient farming with Windrunner, etc. I predict that when stronger players come, when there are more regular tournaments, when the stakes are ten times higher, when The International has a $6-7 million prize pool, then people will realize that this is worth it, and the young will destroy everyone. These youngsters will be led by good, experienced old-school players. I will most likely be one of them, if I find those young players, or if they find me. Call me!



M: What did your superiors say when you lost The International Qualifiers?

LoH: They didn't say anything, because I wasn't talking to them for the most part. When I joined Empire I was talking only with the managers. The first thing I said was, "My friend, our chances of qualifying are like betting 100 times on one number in a casino." You can count those chances and have an idea of what chance we had at The International. When I joined the team I already understood that with the way things were at the time, even if we had somehow won the qualifiers, it would have ended very quickly. Look at Quantic, who placed 17th, and mouz, who placed 16th. Do you need all of this? To work hard for two months, eight hours of Dota a day? I understood that I didn't need this. I was doing my own thing. When you get those chances in your life it means that you are doing something wrong and you need to act in a different way. If you do things right your chances are like betting on 35 numbers and you need to win only once. I just said, "Relax".



M: Are there any roster changes planned for Empire, or anything else?

LoH: There are plans for improvement in everything. The only question is, are my superiors ready to go for those improvements? Right now it looks like they wish to keep the standard system, where you pay a flat salary like $800 and the worker has no motivation besides that. For comparison, in some shops, when you go in, the salesman comes to you to ask you want you need. He helps you. Why? Because he is motivated. If you buy something from him he will get a cut, a commission. Right now, all organizations work like it's still the 80's; they give you your salary and you do what you want. In the future, I want people to always be motivated, a desire to make the step forward. Then we will be improving faster.



M: Was that $800 a real number?

LoH: The average salary is about $1000. It's everywhere. But it doesn't matter how much you get paid, it matters how you are doing. As No Tidehunter (Alliance) showed, if you do things right, you will have great success. Alliance showed that they deserve to be in the winners bracket. Everything started with them just having fun, and they didn't even have a sponsor for 2-3 months.



M: You are standing at the beginning of Dota 2 as an eSport. Do you have any emotions about this?

LoH: Of course. I am building the road, with my character and behavior. If there are more people like this, then it will be much more pleasant to play Dota, even pub games, instead of the current situation where you always hear stories about your mom, your sisters, etc. I like that I am standing not only at the origin of eSports, but at the origin of everything. When I see the business behind The International and other similar events, I see similar businesses starting to develop in Russia. However, comparing business in USA and in Russia is like comparing Heaven and Earth.



M: What is the point of Dota?

LoH: Dota is a field with a large number of variables. You have pieces, thousands of them. You go in and see the results of your moves. It is a proving ground for your thoughts. Smart people value that you can think and work in a team.



M: What is it like to be at The International, not as a player, but as a commentator?

LoH: It is wonderful. I am having a vacation and enjoying the fact that I am watching games that I would watch anyway, and on top of that I get to express my opinions about them. Half the time I am trolling the players. I am sure that even young people will watch this and understand that if you want to be in the top eight of The International you must do simple things, like in chess. In chess, you do not need to micro your pieces, you just need to make a move, that's all. Here is the victory, and suddenly you are in the money at The International. It is true.



M: What are your thoughts on Virtus.pro, who was one of the first teams to be eliminated?

LoH: Because some people are predators in their nature, they like to devour someone mentally, in my opinion, and eventually you lose your energy. When you lose that energy you end up with what we see with 85-90% of Russian teams: you disband. My dear, good ex-teammates, most of you are predators and it's not that good to play with you. Also, some people, instead of simply walking straight, choose to go uphill, get on top of Everest, then go down, then run around in circles, when all you need to do is walk around. It is very important that a leader knows the way.



M: Why were you invited to The International?

LoH: I don't know why myself. It was possibly the choice of v1lat or IceFrog, I have no idea. When someone tells me something like "Here's a ticket, come over", I say "OK!"



M: iceiceice said that last year you were very sad, but this time you are very cheerful and joyful. Why is that?

LoH: I am learning, I am moving forward. I haven't played Dota for 4 months. Instead, I found some more interesting things to do and also changed my character.



M: How are the commentators' conditions here at The International?

LoH: Good for me. You come and everything is set up for you. It's crowded, but it is Benaroya Hall, so we don't even have places to sit. I feel wonderful here, with these conditions. It would have been better if we didn't have the screaming Koreans on top of us, but overall it is excellent.



M: What do you think about the way spectators are not allowed near the players before and in between games at the main event?

LoH: It is completely right, because the players most importantly need time and space to relax and prepare between the games. It should have been done even at The International 2011. Valve are new to this, and I am glad that they are learning.



M: What about the press, to have a place that no one else is allowed into?

LoH: Benaroya Hall will be changed for a place with more space for everyone. Valve probably didn't expect this amount of people. When they opened the selling of tickets they were all gone in ten minutes.



M: Tell us about the Russian commentators. What is their level, can you highlight anyone?

LoH: v1lat gives out amazing energy, charging everyone up, even though he is not a skilled player. It is great. Maelstorm has amazing talent, and I hope he adds to this by improving his voice skill. He has a desire to learn why things are happening the way they are. Matrix likes to discover things, he is an explorer. You will learn anything you need about a certain moment. Inmate I don't know anything about. I wish him success and luck. He likes to troll players as much as I do.



M: What about the English commentators?

LoH: TobiWan does everything amazingly, in my opinion. Those two Korean commentators that conquered me yesterday, I am their official fan now, and I hope they get to commentate at the main stage. I also really like LD; he is really strong, he commentates like a man with his spirit, and it shows his character.



M: You once said that when you lose you feel happy for your opponent.

LoH: I feel happy about the fact that I see people who are doing something better than me and I have someone to learn from. What would you do if you were better than everyone else? Stay on top? Then what? What do you strive for, why do you need this fame? It's like a silly school boy's dream, that to feel accomplished you absolutely have to place first somewhere, to have a good rating.



M: You were saying that teams would save their unusual strategies for The International, but we haven't seen anything too unusual.

LoH: There was Chen + Pudge, the trick that won them the game. Na`Vi showed their first trick, because they knew they were done if they didn't do that. Their second trick was their hero picks; even TongFu started banning PotM, which Na`Vi had used to farm Ancients numerous times. I wonder if Na`Vi have a third trick that can win The International.



M: Let's talk about the comebacks of old-school players after TI3, such as Art-Style, PGG, etc. Do you know any rumours?

LoH: As far as I know, the smart way they do this is to create a team under a fake account. If they win, they can say that "That was me!", and if they do not win, then no one will know that it was you. There is a chance that our old-school players are trying to comeback all this time, but they understand that they must change something. The difference in skill between now and back then is very big. If you get all the old-school players back they will only end up in the Starladder Pro-Series, seriously.



M: Have you heard anything about teams disbanding after TI3?

LoH: I am sure half the teams will disband. The only team that will not change is Liquid, because they showed a very good result for themselves and everything there is stable. Disbands can be alternatively called improvements. People that can't work together will leave or will be removed, it is natural. What Valve are showing right now with the keep-the-roster thing is a joke, as you can see that half of the teams here are trash; they were invited only because they didn't change their roster. I am sure eSports in the future will be more flexible.



M: What about Starcraft 2? You once said that you were going to try it out.

LoH: I said that I will try it. I tried it and I can say one thing: Koreans will kill everyone, I understood that in a week. You can only play 4v4 for fun. For 1v1 it doesn't matter how smart you are, you will get destroyed by any Korean. You can't do anything about it, until you learn to be as physically fast as they are.



M: What about your self-improvement? It's been six months since your last interview. You were saying you wanted to go to Asia.

LoH: I did want to go to Asia, but first, to get there you must travel with someone. It's better with a group so you can have a good time together and explore. Second, you must do an extensive journey. You can't just go there to look at one thing. You should go to a Buddhist temple and try to live there for a week and if you like it there you could stay. It's still a possibility. Right now, Moscow is a great platform to study. We have so many interesting things there. Right now I'm fine in Moscow. I am good where the tides of life send me. You should actively and boldly do what you want, just don't touch anyone's freedom and everything will be great. And you must do it now, do not wait for anything. This is a translated excerpt of the LighTofHeaveN interview by Morf-desihner from prodota.ru on the 10th of August, the third day of The International's main event.- Morf-designer (prodota.ru correspondent and news writer)- Dmitriy "LighTofHeaveN" Kupriyanov (ex-Na`Vi player, now in Empire, TI3 commentator, Indigo Child): Tell us the Na`Vi story, who made the decision to kick you?: You may laugh, but that was me. I made the decision. I did this so it looked like I went inactive, but really I just wanted some freedom and a new experience. Even if people play well continuously, eventually they will want to do something new. So I went to look for something new and to find it needs time.: What about the contracts? Were people aware of your intentions?: Yes they were, but I am going to share some good news - fuck the contracts. If you want to play with someone, if you sign your ass under something and then you decide you don't like it then just get your ass out of there. In life you must be somewhere where you feel amazing. Long-term contracts are so-so.: Ok. Na`Vi announced that you were staying in the team; were they aware that you were going to leave?: They thought that if something were to go wrong with Funn1k and Kuroky then *they could simply revert this* (TL translator's note: LoH ends this sentence on an unintelligible word, so this is just my assumption). But as we can see, to place in top 3 at The International you just need to pick Chen + Pudge, that's all. Despite the fact that TongFu played better and did everything right, two heroes stopped them all. When you see that these guys (Na`Vi) can play like that, you understand why they only have two major opponents: TongFu and Alliance.: What about the other Chinese teams?: When I saw LGD.cn play, despite the fact that people were telling me that they are really strong, I just saw five tryhards that never crossed the river. Their top carry Sylar bought a Shadowblade and used it once in 20 minutes. When I say this I understand that the young and proactive players are the ones driving progress ahead, and not the old retirees that like to sit on their ass.: Did you follow Vici Gaming? They have a very young roster. Maybe they are the future?: As tournaments show, yes. There is a big future ahead of them, especially when your support goes to a 1v1 tournament and suddenly destroys all those top carries, Burning, Ferrari, Mushi, everyone and even almost beats his solo-mid teammate. You can see that those guys are quick on the heels of those Asian teams. I believe that they (Vici) deserved to be at The International instead of MUFC, for example, who were invited to this tournament only because they didn't change their roster. Vici Gaming beat half of the China? Who cares, they switched one player! If all 16 teams had changed one player in their roster and Valve chose to invite other teams who didn't change their roster, then we would have had teams like 4FC, all our European teams like those, and The International would have turned to trash.: What about Virtus.pro? They changed their roster not so long ago, but they were still invited.: They changed only one player. They did this just in time and won The Defence 3 right after that. Valve makes those rules, but even they understand that their rules are garbage, and only retirees will play like that. I am sure that the rules will change soon. Right now, unfortunately, LoL is two steps ahead. The only reason Dota 2 is still kicking is because of the gameplay features where you can win 1v5 and because the game is completely free. It's like chess, just sit and play. In LoL you have to farm those chess pieces. Dota 2 is promising.: Why did you suddenly started talking about LoL? Have you played it?: I have a friend that plays it, and I've started to follow some of their tournaments, because, I am sorry, but they are more entertaining to watch. When you look at Dota you see that one team is winning and the other is just pressing 2 buttons, Chen's TP and Pudge's Hook, and then suddenly that team wins the game. You watch it for 20 minutes and wonder, do I really need to watch this? Is it interesting? In LoL, when you have an advantage you just need to correctly press 5-6-7 buttons and then you will win.: What is the future, LoL or Dota?: Right now, because you have to farm runes and heroes in LoL, the future is Dota. People with good rules can appear at any moment and help IceFrog to develop it so Dota will become more balanced. It is a sport. In sport the one who is putting more work in wins. It will probably require more than pressing two buttons on Chen and Pudge. I am sorry for bringing that up again, but I have never seen that someone approached a million dollars so easily. I bet that people will start banning Chen, or Na`Vi will start picking Chen + Pudge in every game, because it is imba.: Have you come across any prospective young teams like Vici Gaming here, in Europe? Who will replace our old-school players?: This is a great secret, because I play with those guys and I like them, so I'll keep it this way until they start to beat the old guys. Young players tend to learn a lot from older players, but our old players are so old that it is better that our young players never hear about them, allowing them to grow by themselves. Like the Swedes. They grow up in their own house with no outside influence, you do what you want. And as we can see Sweden is dominating Europe right now.: Do you think it was a step back for yourself, after Na`Vi?: It is a step forward for me. I understood from the start that when I leave Na`Vi, they will most likely secure top three at The International, because China was deteriorating except for one team. Alliance first, Na`Vi second, and TongFu third. But then, you have money, you have already won those tournaments many times, you've travelled all around the world, and you start thinking, do you want to continue pressing those buttons and waiting for your superior to tell you what to do? No, you want to do things on your own, start a business, do something because you want to, and if you don't like it then you just leave. It is a step forward for me, I became more free and energetic. Now if I go somewhere I do what I want and people choose if they want to deal with me or not.: But then you joined Empire as a player, instead of becoming a manager or founding your own team?: There is something happening in Empire right now, so maybe, someday, people will hear about my dealings in Na`Vi and partially in Empire. When I left Na`Vi I was offered a place there as a manager, but I realised that I would be under a man who has different thoughts to mine, a different speed. ZeroGravity likes to think for the long term, to do things reliably. I like to act quickly, so I went my own way. I understood that there are people out there that support my point of view and like to move as fast as I do, and not necessarily just in Dota. You can do whatever you want, the important thing is that it will be good and interesting for you.: You can do anything you want, but if it doesn't make money then you have nothing to live on.: People that do everything correctly have money. Money finds strong people, because strong people know how to use it. When people see your strengths and abilities they will make an offer themselves. To earn good money, around $5-10k a month, you must know how to do a lot of good things for the world. When I left for two months, I talked with many different businessmen, I understood that you get what you deserve in your life. Enjoy it.: What is the money like in Empire? What are their salaries, or does it matter if you get paid there?: Empire and Na`Vi are going toe-to-toe. Empire is possibly stronger, but they have only just started work with Dota 2, while Na`Vi have been actively working in Dota 2 for three years now with the best team in the world. If the situation was different and those guys were in Empire, not in Na`Vi, then most likely Empire would be the top project in Europe. I am in Empire right now because I see the prospects. Money is important for the young guys, who have just finished school, but for creative people, like me, the freedom in activity is more important. In Na`Vi I was under Puppey, Puppey was under ZeroGravity, and they basically stayed alive thanks to tricks like Chen + Pudge, Ancient farming with Windrunner, etc. I predict that when stronger players come, when there are more regular tournaments, when the stakes are ten times higher, when The International has a $6-7 million prize pool, then people will realize that this is worth it, and the young will destroy everyone. These youngsters will be led by good, experienced old-school players. I will most likely be one of them, if I find those young players, or if they find me. Call me!: What did your superiors say when you lost The International Qualifiers?: They didn't say anything, because I wasn't talking to them for the most part. When I joined Empire I was talking only with the managers. The first thing I said was, "My friend, our chances of qualifying are like betting 100 times on one number in a casino." You can count those chances and have an idea of what chance we had at The International. When I joined the team I already understood that with the way things were at the time, even if we had somehow won the qualifiers, it would have ended very quickly. Look at Quantic, who placed 17th, and mouz, who placed 16th. Do you need all of this? To work hard for two months, eight hours of Dota a day? I understood that I didn't need this. I was doing my own thing. When you get those chances in your life it means that you are doing something wrong and you need to act in a different way. If you do things right your chances are like betting on 35 numbers and you need to win only once. I just said, "Relax".: Are there any roster changes planned for Empire, or anything else?: There are plans for improvement in everything. The only question is, are my superiors ready to go for those improvements? Right now it looks like they wish to keep the standard system, where you pay a flat salary like $800 and the worker has no motivation besides that. For comparison, in some shops, when you go in, the salesman comes to you to ask you want you need. He helps you. Why? Because he is motivated. If you buy something from him he will get a cut, a commission. Right now, all organizations work like it's still the 80's; they give you your salary and you do what you want. In the future, I want people to always be motivated, a desire to make the step forward. Then we will be improving faster.: Was that $800 a real number?: The average salary is about $1000. It's everywhere. But it doesn't matter how much you get paid, it matters how you are doing. As No Tidehunter (Alliance) showed, if you do things right, you will have great success. Alliance showed that they deserve to be in the winners bracket. Everything started with them just having fun, and they didn't even have a sponsor for 2-3 months.: You are standing at the beginning of Dota 2 as an eSport. Do you have any emotions about this?: Of course. I am building the road, with my character and behavior. If there are more people like this, then it will be much more pleasant to play Dota, even pub games, instead of the current situation where you always hear stories about your mom, your sisters, etc. I like that I am standing not only at the origin of eSports, but at the origin of everything. When I see the business behind The International and other similar events, I see similar businesses starting to develop in Russia. However, comparing business in USA and in Russia is like comparing Heaven and Earth.: What is the point of Dota?: Dota is a field with a large number of variables. You have pieces, thousands of them. You go in and see the results of your moves. It is a proving ground for your thoughts. Smart people value that you can think and work in a team.: What is it like to be at The International, not as a player, but as a commentator?: It is wonderful. I am having a vacation and enjoying the fact that I am watching games that I would watch anyway, and on top of that I get to express my opinions about them. Half the time I am trolling the players. I am sure that even young people will watch this and understand that if you want to be in the top eight of The International you must do simple things, like in chess. In chess, you do not need to micro your pieces, you just need to make a move, that's all. Here is the victory, and suddenly you are in the money at The International. It is true.: What are your thoughts on Virtus.pro, who was one of the first teams to be eliminated?: Because some people are predators in their nature, they like to devour someone mentally, in my opinion, and eventually you lose your energy. When you lose that energy you end up with what we see with 85-90% of Russian teams: you disband. My dear, good ex-teammates, most of you are predators and it's not that good to play with you. Also, some people, instead of simply walking straight, choose to go uphill, get on top of Everest, then go down, then run around in circles, when all you need to do is walk around. It is very important that a leader knows the way.: Why were you invited to The International?: I don't know why myself. It was possibly the choice of v1lat or IceFrog, I have no idea. When someone tells me something like "Here's a ticket, come over", I say "OK!": iceiceice said that last year you were very sad, but this time you are very cheerful and joyful. Why is that?: I am learning, I am moving forward. I haven't played Dota for 4 months. Instead, I found some more interesting things to do and also changed my character.: How are the commentators' conditions here at The International?: Good for me. You come and everything is set up for you. It's crowded, but it is Benaroya Hall, so we don't even have places to sit. I feel wonderful here, with these conditions. It would have been better if we didn't have the screaming Koreans on top of us, but overall it is excellent.: What do you think about the way spectators are not allowed near the players before and in between games at the main event?: It is completely right, because the players most importantly need time and space to relax and prepare between the games. It should have been done even at The International 2011. Valve are new to this, and I am glad that they are learning.: What about the press, to have a place that no one else is allowed into?: Benaroya Hall will be changed for a place with more space for everyone. Valve probably didn't expect this amount of people. When they opened the selling of tickets they were all gone in ten minutes.: Tell us about the Russian commentators. What is their level, can you highlight anyone?: v1lat gives out amazing energy, charging everyone up, even though he is not a skilled player. It is great. Maelstorm has amazing talent, and I hope he adds to this by improving his voice skill. He has a desire to learn why things are happening the way they are. Matrix likes to discover things, he is an explorer. You will learn anything you need about a certain moment. Inmate I don't know anything about. I wish him success and luck. He likes to troll players as much as I do.: What about the English commentators?: TobiWan does everything amazingly, in my opinion. Those two Korean commentators that conquered me yesterday, I am their official fan now, and I hope they get to commentate at the main stage. I also really like LD; he is really strong, he commentates like a man with his spirit, and it shows his character.: You once said that when you lose you feel happy for your opponent.: I feel happy about the fact that I see people who are doing something better than me and I have someone to learn from. What would you do if you were better than everyone else? Stay on top? Then what? What do you strive for, why do you need this fame? It's like a silly school boy's dream, that to feel accomplished you absolutely have to place first somewhere, to have a good rating.: You were saying that teams would save their unusual strategies for The International, but we haven't seen anything too unusual.: There was Chen + Pudge, the trick that won them the game. Na`Vi showed their first trick, because they knew they were done if they didn't do that. Their second trick was their hero picks; even TongFu started banning PotM, which Na`Vi had used to farm Ancients numerous times. I wonder if Na`Vi have a third trick that can win The International.: Let's talk about the comebacks of old-school players after TI3, such as Art-Style, PGG, etc. Do you know any rumours?: As far as I know, the smart way they do this is to create a team under a fake account. If they win, they can say that "That was me!", and if they do not win, then no one will know that it was you. There is a chance that our old-school players are trying to comeback all this time, but they understand that they must change something. The difference in skill between now and back then is very big. If you get all the old-school players back they will only end up in the Starladder Pro-Series, seriously.: Have you heard anything about teams disbanding after TI3?: I am sure half the teams will disband. The only team that will not change is Liquid, because they showed a very good result for themselves and everything there is stable. Disbands can be alternatively called improvements. People that can't work together will leave or will be removed, it is natural. What Valve are showing right now with the keep-the-roster thing is a joke, as you can see that half of the teams here are trash; they were invited only because they didn't change their roster. I am sure eSports in the future will be more flexible.: What about Starcraft 2? You once said that you were going to try it out.: I said that I will try it. I tried it and I can say one thing: Koreans will kill everyone, I understood that in a week. You can only play 4v4 for fun. For 1v1 it doesn't matter how smart you are, you will get destroyed by any Korean. You can't do anything about it, until you learn to be as physically fast as they are.: What about your self-improvement? It's been six months since your last interview. You were saying you wanted to go to Asia.: I did want to go to Asia, but first, to get there you must travel with someone. It's better with a group so you can have a good time together and explore. Second, you must do an extensive journey. You can't just go there to look at one thing. You should go to a Buddhist temple and try to live there for a week and if you like it there you could stay.It's still a possibility. Right now, Moscow is a great platform to study. We have so many interesting things there. Right now I'm fine in Moscow. I am good where the tides of life send me. You should actively and boldly do what you want, just don't touch anyone's freedom and everything will be great. And you must do it now, do not wait for anything. http://i.imgur.com/Q1jSb9X.jpg (c) Shiro; http://i.imgur.com/lSDLLKb.png (c) drav