Quinn: “Aurora Gaming is one update away from becoming a total disaster. And yet, I like her.”

Quinn: By the way, I still think Aurora is a fake. I don’t care how many points they score—they still feel like a fake team; every draft is the same. If a patch comes out that’s unfavorable for them, this roster will need a lot of work: Mikoto has the smallest hero pool of any mid laner in the world, Nightfall plays a very narrow set of carries, Mira is limited to literally a few ranged supports, and Kaori is a “five” with the most limited character list in the world. I think Aurora Gaming is just one update away from becoming a complete disaster. And yet I like them; I love rooting for them because Nightfall has transformed from a villain into someone genuinely likable.

Cap: I wanted to ask you: it feels like the outcome of The International 2026 will be incredibly hard to predict, but is that because everyone is so strong, or is it because everyone is just not that great, and we’re just stuck in a cauldron of weak Dota?

Insania: I don’t know if that’s true, but it seems to me that teams have gotten weaker; on average, they’re playing worse than in previous years compared to their potential. This year really has great potential for a massive transfer window, because many will be unhappy with how they’re playing.

Cap: I think so too. It also means, at least from my perspective, that since there are so many mid-tier rosters, one of them will rise to the top, right? They’ll reach the level of PARIVISION and Team Yandex, I think. And all we can do is wait and see who gets into form in time and for which tournament, because there’s still plenty of time before the main championship of the year.

Cap: They kicked Nico, brought in TORONTOTOKYO to replace him, then announced the departure of their new offlaner, and now they’re playing with Raven. Is anyone surprised that the lineup with TORONTOTOKYO didn’t work out?

Insania: I’m surprised Ceb didn’t come back. I was convinced he’d come out of retirement: I mean, OG looks promising, and the club’s co-founder is into Dota, playing a ton of public matches. I wonder why he didn’t decide to come back.

Cap: Maybe he tried, but the team didn’t want him. Have you thought about that?

Insania: That’s crazy—why would they turn him down? I mean, you definitely wouldn’t want to be the French organization at the 2026 Esports World Cup that said “no” to a coach who’s won two Intels.