ArtStyle on Dota 2 salaries in 2011: “Back then at NAVI, I remember the salary was either 300 or 500 [dollars].”
In an interview with the club’s YouTube channel, Inner Circle General Manager Ivan “ArtStyle” Ivanov reflected on the victory at The International, assessed the growth in player salaries over the past 15 years, and discussed upcoming changes to the team’s roster.
On realizing the significance of the victory at The International 2011
No, we didn’t realize what had happened. Our last tournament back then was ESWC, and we won about $7,000 or so. And we waited three or four months for that money. And then, when a million dollars hit our accounts, we were very excited and impressed, and we realized that Dota had reached a whole new level.
On the Rise in Salaries in Dota 2 Since 2011
If you compare those salaries, the difference is huge. Back then at NAVI, I remember the salary was either 300 or 500 [dollars]. Something like that. Nowadays, a Tier 1 team pays $30,000 or $20,000 per player.
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[Question: “What was your highest salary during your playing career?”]
As a player, it was 2,000–2,500 [dollars].
On the hypothetical possibility of Natus Vincere’s championship roster performing well in the current Dota 2 scene
The game has changed quite a bit, but not for the better. It’s become more casual, yet at the same time faster-paced and more skill-intensive. I don’t know what would happen, but I think all the players would learn this version of Dota very quickly and adapt to it. I can’t play right now; probably Dendi and Puppey can’t either, because we’re getting old, we have other responsibilities besides Dota, but at that age we lived and breathed the game and would surely have adapted.
On switching to the role of coach
It was a very spontaneous decision. I left NAVI for the second time. I don’t even remember—maybe I was even kicked out. Then RAMZES messaged me and suggested I go with them to [Virtus.pro] boot camp and try my hand at coaching. I agreed. That’s how it all started.
On playing Dota 2
No, it’s very hard for a coach to play a lot of Dota—you have to keep an eye on things, find time to watch all the replays, keep up with tournaments, and prepare for matches.
On selecting players for the Inner Circle roster
It was a very difficult process because Daze convinced me that I could coach and communicate in English. But I had absolutely no experience with that. And since it’s very difficult to find Ukrainian players due to contracts, we started looking for someone from Europe—foreign players—and began building the team from there. But we agreed with Daze that he wouldn’t sign a contract for the first two months, so he’d have time to decide whether he’d stay with us or not.
On Inner Circle’s Future
There will be changes. There will be more Ukrainians. We’ll probably build a legacy, like NAVI did. Or maybe not. Right now, we’re figuring out what that will look like, but there will definitely be more Ukrainians.
This year, Inner Circle competed in the 2026 Esports World Cup for Dota 2. The team finished in 21st–24th place, failing to secure a single victory in the group stage. The team earned $7,500 for their performance at this tournament.
Photo: Ivan “ArtStyle” Antonov.
