Korb3n: “Dota has also become less interesting to watch than it used to be.”
Team Spirit manager Dmitry “Korb3n” Belov spoke on a stream about the 2026 Esports World Cup and the decline in interest in Dota 2.
On the 2026 Esports World Cup
[Question: “Are you sad that you lost the EWC?”] Well, we didn’t “lose” the EWC—we were eliminated. You can “lose” the EWC in the finals or somewhere close to the finals. When you’re eliminated in the top 8, you can’t really call that “losing the EWC.”
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The EWC is awesome. PV’s victory is awesome, but if we had won, it would’ve been even cooler.
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“How would you rate the EWC that just took place?” — 10 out of 10. One of the best tournaments of the year. [Question: “But what about for the team specifically?”] If it’s about the team, it’s better to ask the team. I’d also give it a 10 out of 10 from my perspective.
On the ranking position needed to make the Dota 2 academy roster
“I have a group of 16-year-old guys ready for the toughest training. How many PTS does each player need for us to take an interest?” Well, look, all academies are interested in players with a rating of 1,000 or higher. Not PTS, but the numbers [This refers to a spot in the European ranking table. — Ed.].
On the Decline in Interest in Dota 2
“Dota is more interesting than [soccer]”—well, not really. Dota has also become less interesting to watch than it used to be. Although today’s final [of the Esports World Cup 2026] was good—it was a good final. Not all maps, of course, but the first and second were good. [Question: “Are you happy for Alan?”] Of course. I congratulated Alan [Satanic]; of course I’m happy—why wouldn’t I be?
On Team Liquid’s reliance on Nisha’s form
[Question: “Why is Liquid so weak when it counts, and why does Nisha dominate when it doesn’t?”] I think it’s precisely because Liquid is very dependent on Nisha and his form, which is why that’s the case. If Nisha is on his game, everything’s fine for Liquid; if Nisha isn’t quite on his game, then things aren’t quite so great.
Earlier, Korb3n shared his thoughts on the organization of The International series: “In Hamburg, there was more of a problem with some strange format and the fact that the tournament rules changed during the tournament itself.”
