Bach on The International: “The level of competition and production is very high every year.”

Bach: There’s an interesting point here for me. Rationally, we understand that we didn’t play very well and that we have some issues. And we’re not sure we can fix them mentally. But deep down, I had a feeling that even when we started off by losing in the upper bracket, I knew we’d make it to The International and ultimately win. I had that feeling in the last few games, too—even when the odds were 99 to 1 against us. We all know it’s very hard to win, but I still have this feeling that we can do it.

Quinn: That’s really cool. I get that feeling. Sometimes you just feel like you’re going to win, even if it doesn’t make sense. It’s just like, “Yeah, I think we’re going to win.”

Cap: That’s really interesting, because I’ve heard that from a few people before. I’ve heard it from Quinn before, too. I wonder where that comes from. What do you think, Quinn? Is it just because you play so many games and can tell when the team is “clicking”?

Quinn: I think, to some extent, it’s just intuition. But it’s also worth saying that there’s an element of mind over matter. Sometimes it’s just visualization—it sounds silly, but I think there’s value in just believing in it and fully getting into it. Then it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you truly believe it will happen, you start playing harder and trying harder, and acting in ways that make it happen—even if it’s a bit of self-deception.

Bach: Yes, of course, the tournament in Shanghai is important for China. I’m 28 years old, and this is probably the most mature version of myself competing at TI. So, I guess it’s something special for me.

Cap: Are you thinking about retiring, or will you just keep going?

Bach: I’m not sure about the future right now—at least not too far into it. I used to have some thoughts and plans for the future, but now I’m just trying to focus on the present. I don’t want to plan too much.

Quinn: Since you’ve been on the scene for a long time, how do the older TI tournaments differ from the newer ones? I didn’t play in the early TI tournaments myself—I only started around TI8—and even then, you could feel the difference compared to the TI6 era. What was it like for you?

Bach: I think, for me, TI is more tied to my age. The level of competition and production is very high every year. There are always better players and better performances, and the production is really cool, too. I played in TI6, TI10, TI11, and last year and this year. There’s almost always an orchestra in the arena—that’s really cool. Last year, when I played for Team Tidebound, the set design and theme were really beautiful. So visually, it’s pretty much the same feeling. The difference lies more in my age and my position in esports. TI6 was my first TI; I was a rookie, everything was new, and I looked up to the top players. It’s still fresh and exciting.

After that, I couldn’t make it to TI for several more years, and then the next time I was already with LGD Gaming. And at that point, I was in my prime, playing at the top of my game. I felt like the main character of that tournament. And it felt different because I had the feeling that we could beat any team. Back then, the competition didn’t seem so tough. But last year and this year, I feel like an old player now. There are new, strong players now, like ATF and Satanic—they’re very young and very strong. When I watch them play, I get the feeling that I’m watching TI6 all over again. For me, that’s the biggest difference between the various TI tournaments—the feeling they evoke.

Bach: Yeah, I think we’ve already talked about this a bit before. I feel like I heard a calling. I just knew we were meant to compete at this The International, and we’re going to do it. There’s a funny story about the qualifiers. On the last day, before the match, I woke up, went outside, was just enjoying the sun, and asked myself, “Who am I going to play today?” I heard a voice and got an answer right away—Doom and Timbersaw. And I won that game playing Doom and Timbersaw.