Saksa on Team Yandex: “Right now, I feel more comfortable and enjoy playing with younger players.”
Team Yandex support player Martin “Saksa” Sazdov spoke on the ALL CHAT podcast about his departure from Tundra Esports and his relationship with Neto “33” Shapira, toxic communication within teams, his time playing for Digital Chaos, and his career hiatus.
On his split with 33 and the team atmosphere
The reason for our split wasn’t related to any major scandal. 33 and I simply didn’t see eye to eye on a number of issues; disagreements arose that gradually escalated. When you play with the same person for a long time, fatigue sets in. Besides, I now feel more comfortable and enjoy playing with younger players—our energy levels are a better match.
Overall, I believe that direct confrontations and debates are necessary. Silence and avoiding problems spell a slow death for the team. Of course, timing is important: criticizing right after a loss when emotions are running high is a bad idea. Back in Tundra’s golden era, we even implemented a rule: discussions about past practice matches were postponed until the next day so as not to spoil the atmosphere during scrimmages.
On My First Success with Digital Chaos and the TI 2016 Finals
My first real professional team was Digital Chaos. We were a group of players who had essentially been “leftovers” after a major roster shakeup. The leaders were MiSeRy and w33, who had just left Team Secret. There were constant emotional outbursts on the team—MiSeRy would stand up during the TI qualifiers, yelling red-faced right in w33’s face, and five minutes after a victory, they’d be jumping into the pool with their arms around each other. For me, a young guy from the Balkans, it was an incredible experience.
At The International 2016, we went very far thanks to good preparation and flexible drafts. The most motivating match for me was the lower bracket final against Evil Geniuses. I desperately wanted to beat them so they wouldn’t win a second TI in a row. We gave it our all, but when we made it to the Grand Final against Wings Gaming, we just realized where we were, started to “choke,” and lost. It was impossible to prepare for Wings—we had no idea what they would pick.
On the Break in My Career
After my time with Digital Chaos and Thunderbird, there was a point when my value on the pro scene dropped significantly, and there were no good offers. I decided it was better not to play for random mixes at all than to compete where there was no room for growth. I just went to grind MMR, climbed to the top 3 on the ladder, and waited for the right opportunity. It paid off when I was invited to join Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Earlier, Team Yandex support Martin “Saksa” Sazdov spoke about the team in an interview with Hotspawn: “It’s a very laid-back team. They’re easy to play with—they’re great guys, and there’s just a positive vibe around them. I feel very comfortable.”
