Saksa on the Dota 2 Esports World Cup 2026 semifinal: “There’s a sense of confidence, but without overconfidence.”
Professional players Martin “Saksa” Sazdov and Andrei “Dukalis” Kuropatkin spoke about the playoff semifinals in an interview at the 2026 Dota 2 Esports World Cup.
About PARIVISION
Saksa: They’re one of the most formidable opponents we’ve faced recently; they’re considered the best. It’s a good matchup—we’ve done pretty well against them even when they were in top form. There’s a bit of confidence, but no overconfidence.
On their opponents at EWC 2026
Dukalis: We can always play better, but so far we haven’t faced a real rival in this tournament. We haven’t come up against a real team yet. Maybe it’s because we’re so good—I don’t know.
On expectations for EWC 2026
Dukalis: When it comes to this tournament and our chances, it all comes down to the match against Team Yandex. In my opinion, we’re the two strongest teams here, so this is a series to determine who advances to the grand final.
On the Yandex vs. PV match
Saksa: If I had to rate us against PARIVISION, I’d say it’s 50-50. It’ll depend on who’s stronger on that particular day and who has the better ideas. That’ll make a big difference.
Dukalis: 50-50—you’ll either win or lose.
The current score is 1–0 in favor of PARIVISION. The winner of this semifinal will face BetBoom Team, and the loser will face Vici Gaming. The 2026 Dota 2 Esports World Cup will run through July 19; this year’s festival is taking place in Paris.
Kirill Alexandrov
