StrangeR on the Esports World Cup 2026: “Not everyone who was supposed to fly to Paris today managed to do so.”

L1GA TEAM’s sports director, Alexander “StrangeR” Solomonov announced on his personal Telegram channel that the team had successfully arrived in the host city of the 2026 Dota 2 Esports World Cup, but noted that not all members of other teams had made it to the tournament venue with their full rosters.
The quote is reproduced with the source’s spelling and punctuation intact
EWC 2026 – Day 1. Flights
Turkish Airlines was a pleasant surprise for me—comfortable flights with no delays, and even ahead of schedule.
Overall, the flight went well; no one’s luggage went missing, and we passed through border control in France without any unnecessary questions—literally.
We did arrive at the hotel late, though—there was a minor hiccup through no fault of our own. What can you do? These things happen; it’s the human factor. Our teammate Bakyt [Zayac] flew in this afternoon and was chilling at the hotel.
I’ll note that not everyone who was supposed to fly into Paris today managed to do so—I’m not talking about our team, so I won’t name names—but I hope everything works out for our colleagues tomorrow.
Also, tomorrow all the teams have a media day, and we’ll see how the practice sessions go. I’m confident everything will run smoothly there and we’ll get some good practice in.
Earlier, L1GA TEAM’s sports director Alexander “StrangeR” Solomonov spoke about taking a break from his career, economic changes in the pro scene, the significance of The International, working with players, discipline, and young talent.
Photo: Alexander “StrangeR” Solomonov.


