PGG: 'I invited Mr. 322 (Solo), but he chose VP'



PGG sleeping at TI2. Photo by Valve.

Hello PGG! Let’s start with some personal questions. Do you work somewhere at the moment?

Hey! Not at the moment. Right now I am focused on DotA, as for the future, we’ll see where it goes…

You mentioned that you moved to your girlfriend's home in St. Petersburg. Do you still live together?

I've lived here for more than a year already, and I am not planning on returning home.

Do you miss your family? Are you visiting your relatives frequently?

I miss my friends a lot more, since I am always on the phone with my family. I return home a few times a year, for a couple of week each time.

In the past you have repeatedly mentioned your passion for Poker. Do you still play it?

Not right now. Poker requires a lot of commitment if you want it to be profitable. I do not have the desire and time to fully focus on it.

Where would you like to travel, if you had a choice?

I guess nowhere. I am not a travelling kind of guy.

Is there something you would like to see or try? For example, if there would be a one-time teleport to a specific place and back?

I would swap with Angelina Jolie’s husband and go back after the job is done.

Or would you rather swap with Bunny’s boyfriend?

This is all in the past! (Laughs)

Which movie did you like more in 2013 and why?

Well, it is hard to remember all of them. I would say ‘Now You See Me’. Why? Well, go see it for yourself and you’ll know why.

What TV series are you watching right now? Which is your favourite one?

My favourite is Prison Break. The last one I watched was – Under the Dome, I think its next season will start in summer 2014.

Well, let’s move on to DotA! For a long time, you have kept the history of your nickname a secret. Maybe today is the time to tell more about it?

There is not much to tell, to be honest. I was 15 years old and my nickname served as a password for some online games. Later, when I started playing DotA I got frustrated with how long it takes to start the game. I decided to make my password (PleaseGoGame) into a nickname, and spammed space bars into the chat when the start of a game was delayed.

The DotA scene hasn’t heard about you for a while. Where were you?

I took a pause and thought about what happened at TI 2. Now I plan on returning, but with a more serious attitude.

You claimed that you would retire from DotA at the age of 23; there is just one month left. Why didn’t this plan come true?

Well, I could not anticipate that everything would go to a whole new level.

Have you thought about becoming a coach or a manager for a professional team?

Maybe, but for now I’ll try to succeed as a player.

What are your thoughts about the influence of music on the quality of a game?

I think that while playing in a team, music is distracting. However, the in-game sounds can help you a lot.

Anyone can buy a game with you on a specific website. What do you think about and were there many buyers so far?

I think that everybody dreams about playing with professional players personally, especially with Skype. It is quite ok to pay a moderate amount for this opportunity. Regarding the buyers, let’s say there are enough of them.



Did you watch TI3?

I watched it in the ‘Outrunner’. I was invited as a guest there, everything was great – thanks to the organizers. One of the best moments was when a certain player ‘helped’ his team by denying the Aegis.

Can you tell us something about the new patch?

I like it. DotA has become much more dynamic and late-game mistakes are punished heavily because of the change in the buy-back system.

Are you planning to stream your games?

I just fixed my PC and started streaming not long ago!

You used to stream on the official Na’Vi channel. Why so?

Well, I was streaming there since Own3d.tv times. We agreed that I would stream on their channel. No problems so far, I am happy with how it is right now and I still stream there.

You were offered a caster position at SLTV, but you refused it. Do you regret this decision?

It was a few years ago and no, I do not regret it. ‘I am a player’ – that’s what I said. I think that casting is only for those people who do not see themselves as players in the future. As I mentioned before, I just took a pause after TI 2 and now I am ready to rock!

So, you would have rejected this offer again, if it came today?

I think so. You can make much more than a caster would in his whole career by playing in The International. I will think about changing my career when I start underperforming.

Let’s talk about your team. You are changing your teammates so fast, that it is hard to tell who the core of your team is and who is just a stand-in for an evening? Can you tell us who are you playing with right now?

I do not change my teammates. It would be more precise to say that I, Azen and Newbik cannot find proper support players. At the moment we are playing with warden (Estonian, who used to play with Fly from Empire) and Ede (German, former captain of Ueblest).

How do you communicate with this international roster?

Ede knows a little bit of Russian and understands us, while warden knows only Russian.

How did you choose which players to take?

Well, I took the ones that agreed to join! (laughs)

In the past, many Pro players who played with you complained about your lack of discipline (saying that you attended scrims while at a party). Has it changed since then?

Well, it is hard to judge yourself. However, I think that the attitudes of some of the players who complained and have not left their team is not much better. Regarding the present – we train about 5-6 days a week, 5-10 hours a day.

Does Azen still live in Israel? Is he still busy at work?

Yes, he still lives there. He is busy at work, but only 1-2 days a week.

You finally managed to get into the Starseries division of SLTV, something you struggled to achieve for the past 4 seasons. Did you have a lot of troubles making it through this season?

Not really. Before that, we were just unlucky. We placed 2nd or 3rd multiple times before. Regarding the Pro – series, I cannot highlight anyone; everybody was playing on more or less the same level.

You mentioned that you wouldn’t like to live in China, and that the one trip you made is enough. What did you mean by this?

It is really boring in China, especially if you stay there for a long time. A few months ago we were invited to join Rattlesnake.Int – most of us refused because of that reason. It is always better to stay at home.

But it is hard to find such sponsors at home?

I would not say so. Rather, your hands are free since you are not tied up by some obligations. Alliance has proved that you can achieve a lot even without sponsors, bootcamps and without China – it is all about the approach you take. It is more comfortable to play from home than from China: you are not at work, you can do whatever you want and whenever you want.

But, aren’t obligations motivating you to play more and better? It is one thing to play ‘when you want’, and it is completely different to play when you ‘must’.

Well, sometimes we want to play 15 hours a day. It is not obligations that motivate – it’s the perspective.

So you are not in search of sponsorship for TR?

Of course we are. But finding a sponsorship and moving to China are completely different things.

Let’s talk a little about DotA personalities. So many players have passed through TR, can you highlight any of them?

It is hard to tell, there were so many people! (laughs)

What do you know about Dima Smeliy right now? How did you feel working with him at Moscow5?

I don’t know anything about him right now. But I really enjoyed working with him, we were very alike!

A few years ago you mentioned that drag13 is your closest friend in the DotA community. What is he and his brother bloodangel doing at the moment?

It was about 5 years ago, we still keep in touch via Skype. I don’t know what’s up with bloodangel now though.

Can you tell us about Frostnova? How is his chess career going? Does he still play pub games?

He achieved second place at the recent Russian Chess Championship. Everyone is playing pub games, and he is not an exception.

What would you say about the new rosters of Virtus.Pro, Rox.Kis and Empire?

It is hard to say right now. DotA is like a new game, we’ll see what happens.

Were you approached by some organizations after TI3? Are there any Pro players you invited to TR?

Both Alliance and Na’Vi asked me to join, but I refused! I invited Mr. 322 (Solo), but he chose VP.

With which old-school players are you still in touch with? Do you play pub games with any of them?

I keep in touch with many of them, but I do not play pubs.

What about God or NS?

Not with them. I am closer to Smile, Vigoss and Blow.

Any Shoutouts?

Shoutout to everybody!