Pure: “Dota 2, yeah, it’s slowly dying.”

[Don’t you think it’s a warning sign that the money is running out in Dota 2, since you haven’t been able to sign with a team for so long?] We actually had two months to look for a team. Of course, it’s a warning sign, because, essentially, no one wanted to sign the best team of the season for such a long time. We had two organizations that were interested, and we could have signed with either of them. In the end, we signed with one of them. But it’s strange. The team was the best throughout the season, won the most tournaments, and just won another one.

It obviously makes you think that at some point, you’ll have to do something else besides playing Dota 2. [Do you think all of this signals the inevitable decline of Dota 2 as a discipline?] Dota 2, yes, is slowly dying. [Do you believe Valve will take charge of their own esports scene?] The trend shows that they’re not interested in it. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s not profitable for them to invest so much in Dota 2, considering that CS2 is also a popular esports title—a very popular one. Maybe they have plans for Deadlock. But as for competitive Dota 2—yes, they’ve all but abandoned it entirely, Valve itself. They aren’t organizing anything; for several years now, they’ve even handed over The International to PGL. And considering that there hasn’t been a Compendium for so many years, I think it might make a comeback. But I think it might come back as a one-time event, a final one of sorts. Valve is, after all, a massive organization. Profit is their top priority. If Dota 2 isn’t profitable for them, they’ll do whatever brings in more revenue. And that, of course, is CS2.

[You started out with Virtus.pro. When you joined Virtus.pro, it was already a far cry from the organization I used to work for. It had become completely different. I’m just curious—how did the organizations you’ve played for differ from one another?]

Well, let’s start with the first organization and from my perspective, as I see it. Considering that this was my very first team ever, it was interesting and surprising for me to get to know Dota 2 organizations in general. I expected more, but, as you said, it wasn’t the same organization you used to work for—the one where Ramzes, No[o]ne-, and the other guys played. It was already different, so I think, yes, the organization’s level had already dropped. Still, it was solid, and especially since it was my first organization, it was fun for me—and surprising in some ways. But overall, I’d describe that experience as unfavorable. [What was your first salary at VP?] $1,500–2,500. It was definitely somewhere in that range.