Malr1ne on the 5th map of the TI 2025 Grand Final: “Even though I played really well there, I was just on edge by then.”

Nix: So you’re like the Ninja Turtles, and he’s your Splinter [Referring to Aui_2000. — Ed.].

Malr1ne: Kind of, yeah. I might even become a Splinter myself at some point, to help out.

Nix: Do you feel like you have that kind of background where you’d want to pass on your knowledge?

Malr1ne: I’m already thinking about it even now.

Nix: Replays?

Malr1ne: I’m starting to enjoy Dota from the replays’ perspective. Sometimes. Not always, but, let’s put it this way, I very rarely watch replays, and I only watch them when I really need to. But I already enjoy helping people, and I feel like I have at least enough knowledge to help others. But for now, I’ll focus on myself. In the future, maybe I’ll become a coach—I wouldn’t mind.

Malr1ne: It was a shock that in the third game, we knew he’d banned him, we picked Pangolier, and only then did we see that he hadn’t banned him. We just sat there facepalming.

Nix: I was also *** [blown away], do you guys have different rates?

Malr1ne: We didn’t even think he’d leave Sand King in the pool. When the draft ended in the third game, I told Ammar [ATF], “If we lose this game, it’s your fault,” like you didn’t draft him.

Malr1ne: My old-timers were totally hyped up. We wanted to take the default “four-man lineup,” and Cr1t says, “We’ve got a greedy Naga,” and someone else was there too. “We need Disruptor here”. We hadn’t played a single game with Disruptor. I was sitting on an unreal pick, but all I could do—maximum impact—was just stay silent; I didn’t want to mislead anyone. Do whatever you want, guys, okay.

By the way, Sneyking also killed Naga. Nobody saw it; there was this whole discussion about it. If he knew Russian, he would’ve said, “*** [Damn], I’ll be there, pick Naga.”

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Nix: In my opinion, you guys [ATF] fell apart in the fifth map; the old-timers just went on the offensive there.

Malr1ne: We really did fall apart on the fifth map; I was just shaking by then. Even though I pulled off a really nice play there, I was just on edge by then.

Malr1ne: He really helps us mentally during all our slumps [Referring to skiter. — Ed.]. The coach too. The coach and skiter. I wouldn’t say that our guys get into a tilt very easily. We have pretty calm, level-headed people.

Alagon: In short, you take *** [losses] at tournaments in stride.

Malr1ne: Yeah. It’s still sad in those moments, but it just takes a day or two, and that’s it. I need a day or two, and I’m calm; I’ve basically forgotten about that tournament.