Davai on Nigma Galaxy at the 2026 Esports World Cup in Dota 2: “First place in the group is an achievement in itself.”
Nigma Galaxy offlaner Cedric “Davai” Dekmin spoke in an interview following their victory over PlayTime in the group stage of the 2026 Esports World Cup about the team’s advancement to the tournament’s playoffs, assessed their performance in the group stage, and shared his expectations for the rest of the tournament.
On advancing to the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs
I feel great. Throughout the group stage, I tried to keep my emotions in check and just focused on playing better—we made mistakes, especially me, even in games where we performed well overall. So taking first place and finally being able to breathe a little is a great feeling. [Did it get easier when they told you after the match, “Guys, Aurora lost”?] Yeah, yeah, I checked the result right away.
On the first game against PlayTime
The first game turned out to be tougher than the second. [Why was it so intense?] Necrophos.
On the pressure on the last day of the group stage
There was pressure because it was the last day, and everything was going well for us. I think when things are going well, the pressure gradually builds, but we try to stay focused and concentrate on the moment, on each individual game.
On expectations for the tournament
I’d say our first goal was to make the playoffs, and we’re already happy about that. Finishing first in the group is an achievement in itself. Of course, we’ll always strive for more because we genuinely believe in this team. Everyone can see it—we’re playing very well, and we’re very strong. Maybe we can even win the whole tournament—who knows? So we’re happy to be in the top 8, but we’re not going to stop there.
On how the team stays focused
Everyone has their own ritual—it’s a pretty personal thing. As for me, I meditate, I have a pre-match ritual, and I try to mentally play through every game in advance—basically, my own routine. If you have a clear routine, it helps you be ready for any match. Plus, our opponent had beaten us three times in a row before this—they’d crushed us in online matches. So it was especially satisfying to get our revenge.
Earlier, BetBoom Team mid laner Danil “gpk” Skutin shared his thoughts on the team’s results in the tournament’s group stage during an interview at the Esports World Cup 2026: “I think I’m happy. We’re playing better with every series. We want to get a better feel for our game.”
