TEAM: Singapore Sentinels

GPL RANKING: 2

Once a prolific player in the Dota scene, Hyhy now combats the other teams in the GPL as the mid laner for Singapore Sentinels, a team that has climbed its way to second place, only falling behind ahq. Having had many years of professional DotA experience has launched hyhy's skills to a high level of play incredibly fast.

Despite having a lack of experience, hyhy is quickly making a name for himself in being one of the strongest solo laners in all of Southeast Asia. Today, we take a deeper look into the player and the workings of his team while also taking a dip into his transition from a Dota player to a League of Legends professional well on his way to being able to participate in the Season 3 World Championships.

This interview was conducted by e-mail on July 29th by Michale "Drexxin" Lalor.

When did you decide competitive gaming was right for you and what you wanted to do?

It was back in 2007 when I won my first dota tournament in WCG Singapore.

Did you do any kind of work or studies before stumbling into DotA and professional gaming?

Yeah of course, was studying all along as I pursued my interest in pro-gaming.

Where would you be now if you weren't a professional gamer? Any other previous dreams or aspirations before gaming?

I would be doing better in school and probably in university right now. I had no other aspirations really; it seemed like pro gaming was best for me.



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"I still watch Team Zenith's games from time to time though, reminiscence of the good old days."

What do you do outside of training as a hobby when there is free time? (If there is free time!)

What a normal guy would do I think; spending time with friends and family and trying to get lucky with chicks.

Is there anything you and your team do together to bond when not playing LoL? Any fun, recreational activities you do together?

We don't hang out much, whatever spare time we have is for personal use.

Do you or any of your teammates still play Dota 2 occasionally for fun or watch it as an eSport? If so, who are you currently fans of?

I don't know about my teammates, but I stopped playing DotA completely. I didn't see a point in playing unless it was on a professional basis. I still watch team Zenith's games from time to time though, reminiscence of the good old days.

Since Singapore Sentinels is doing so well in the GPL, it's quite likely that we'll see you guys on the world stage. How do you feel that might compare with your experiences at the world stage in DotA?

I won't be expecting any less from the LoL stage, but I guess being in the Dota scene for 7 years made the experience truly irreplaceable.

A lot of people seem to think that SEA is the weakest region as a whole, would you agree or do you have a counter-argument for that statement?

I disagree, teams in SEA are more underrated mainly because their games are not streamed as widely as other regions. The Koreans are really good though, and that was evident when the Korean All-Stars team won the event.

When you were still playing Dota 2, did you dabble in League of Legends at all beforehand or did you start practicing as soon as you knew you couldn't make a living off Dota anymore?

Previously, I played the game a little just to see what the hate on LoL-DotA was all about. I thought it was a really well thought-out game just like DotA, but the core differences make it a completely different game at the same time. Dota was never something I relied on for a living to begin with, it is simply my interest and passion. LoL is no different, I just decided to give pro-LoL a shot after our disappointing performance in TI2 last year.

If you had the opportunity to still earn a living playing Dota 2 and you hadn't lost any skill since you last played, would you switch from LoL now after having played for awhile with Singapore Sentinels?

No I wouldn't, I've grown to love my current manager too much. His name is Apple, a cute and fat bloke.

Since you play mid in LoL, are there any similarities to the mid role in Dota 2, any big differences (mechanics, mindgames)?

I won't say there's much difference in the mid role, however the gameplay has huge differences. I would say mainly because of brush wards and jungle camps spawning regardless of ward vision, and LoL neither has TP scrolls nor BKB T_T. There are times I went into engages thinking I could BKB and died in 2 seconds, no kidding.





"There are times I went into engages thinking I could BKB and died in 2 seconds, no kidding."

How do you feel about your rise in the GPL as well as the competition of your peers?

It has been an intense season here in GPL and right now we are striving to replace ahq for first position.

In Season 2, Taipei Assassins took the world by storm, winning the World Championships. What do you think has changed with them now?

I believe TPA is in its adapting period with their new players, it could take awhile before they get back on top.

With TPA's roster changes, can they reach the team's old potential?

The new players are completely new to me. I haven't seen them play before they joined TPA so I can't give much positive information. I have confidence in the TPA management though, they did it once and they can do it again.

How many hours a day typically go into training and studying replays?

10 hours on weekends, 4-6 hours on weekdays. We don't spend much time studying replays, we do brief go-throughs.

Thank you so much for the interview. A lot of people were disappointed when you left DotA, but surely you still have loyal fans that understand your predicament and support you. Is there anything you want to say to them and any other shoutouts you'd like to make before we close out the interview?

Thanks for supporting me over the years. It's been an amazing experience and the memories will stay with me for life.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

-Favorite Food: Beef Steak

-Favorite Drink : Beer

-Best Movie: ​Pearl Harbor

-Childhood Hero: My teddy bear

-Biggest Fear: Elo Police

-Most annoying Hero: Teemo

-Best Mid Laner: Froggen

-Favorite game (outside of eSports): Drinking Games