MinD_ContRoL: “I’m trying to cut Dota 2 out of my life.”
Former professional player Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov spoke in an interview on the Dejet YouTube channel about what has changed him the most in his career and shared his thoughts on Dota 2.
On what aspect of the transition to coaching changed him the most
What changed me the most? I don’t think it’s about any specific role. It’s just time. The time I’ve spent away from Nigma Galaxy… Though I mean both Nigma and Team Liquid together. Those people were very close to me. When I left, my connection with them became much weaker. Because we’re not together anymore, you know? We don’t have boot camps, and we no longer share a common goal—winning tournaments and everything that goes with it. Now, in the world of Dota 2, I don’t have any close friends left. People like them. I don’t have anyone like that anymore. In a way, I’m on my own.
Of course, I still have friends, but in the world of Dota 2, I’m alone now. I think that’s what has changed me the most. I got used to being around them. To be honest, getting too attached to other people isn’t a good thing. You shouldn’t depend on anyone that much. That’s why it’s important to be able to be on your own.
[Standing on your own two feet, right?]
Yes, before I became a professional player, I knew how to do that, too. But it’s one thing to be alone at 18, and quite another at 31.
On My Attitude Toward Dota 2
I’m trying to cut Dota 2 out of my life because I’m really tired of the game. I don’t like the matchmaking system. It’s been like this for five years now. It really bothers me. Although I do think Dota 2 itself is still a pretty good game.
Obviously, some changes and new patches are needed, but I don’t think that’s the main problem for me. I don’t like the people in ranked games, especially at the highest tiers. Even some professional players behave extremely toxically. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of how, in every game, someone gets blamed for the loss. It doesn’t matter if they blame me or one of my teammates. That kind of behavior is considered normal. One player blames another, and no one can say or do anything about it because that player simply has a high rank. Sure, he has a high rank, so that means he can do whatever he wants. He can insult others in voice chat. There’s still no standard language for communication. In most games, only English should be used, but instead, people speak in all sorts of languages. It’s just unprofessional. This has been going on for five or six years now. You could say it’s always been this way, but in reality, that’s not entirely true.
Back when I was playing, people respected each other. There was mutual respect. I remember playing with RAMZES during Virtus.pro’s heyday. He always treated me well. Even if I made mistakes in ranked games, he’d just say, “It’s okay, MC, you can do this and that.” Even though we were rivals on the professional scene, at least we treated each other well.
I remember those days, but that’s not the case anymore. If you play poorly—say, you’re down 0-3—people will start reporting you, writing about you in the general chat, and trolling you. I don’t know. It’s just impossible to play ranked matches calmly. You’re bound to lose your cool. You definitely will. Unless you’re friends with all the players. But, you know, I just like playing in ranked matches. For me, ranked is a place where you can practice a bit, play a few matches. Yeah, this new ranked mode isn’t for me. I don’t like the way people behave.
Earlier, professional player Muhammad “inYourdreaM” Rizki Anugra spoke about the breakup of REKONIX, his disagreements with Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov, and his plans to continue his career in Dota 2.
Photo by Bart Oerbekke, ESL.
