Malr1ne: “If I weren’t playing for Team Falcons, I might not have reached my full potential either”
Team Falcons midlaner Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak spoke to OFFSTAGE about his views on The International series and the impact of conflicts on the team’s development.
On his attitude toward The International
The Int is what Dota is all about. So it’s the same for me. I love all tournaments, but The Int will always be special. Always. It’s like a favorite son. [Even if there were a tournament like the Riyadh Masters, with a 40 million prize pool, for example?] But there, you know, it’s more about the title; there’s no Aegis of the Immortal. Even if they did something similar, like they do in Riyadh, it still wouldn’t be the same. The International is where Dota 2 all began.
On the conflict at The International 2025 and its impact on the team
I can’t go into details, but it’s related to the game. It was specifically a conflict over gameplay. And the conflict itself, of course, can have both negative and positive effects, but more often than not, if the team is productive, it will always turn it into a positive, because conflicts aren’t that common in our team: they’re rare, but useful. Well, of course, it happens naturally, but... It’s just that when things come to a head, you want to talk it out with someone and get back on the right track, because, given our results, we clearly weren’t on the right track. And at the end of the Inta match, when emotions were still running high, it just felt necessary. It happened spontaneously and, apparently, worked out for the best.
On a possible match with Hellscream in the future
I’d really love to play with Lagutik, yes. I think he has great potential, just like Cr1t-. Of course, people might not see it that way, but I see him as part of the four-man lineup I’d like to see. Kind of like Cr1t-, so to speak. For me, that’s the ideal benchmark. He has those qualities—really, really good ones. It’s just that he wasn’t given a chance to truly shine, and there just wasn’t a good opportunity, so to speak. Although there were tournaments where he stood out—at Nigma Galaxy and at Virtus.pro, they gave him... Well, anyway, he’s played on most teams. I think many would agree. If I hadn’t played for Team Falcons, I might not have been able to reach my full potential either. A person needs to be in the right place at the right time. And I think his time will come.
Earlier, Team Falcons mid laner Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak commented on the team’s elimination from The International 2026, thanked the fans for their support, and talked about plans to stream after returning home.
Photo — Valve.
