SVG on Southeast Asia in the Dota 2 pro scene: “This region has been in zombie mode for quite some time now”

SVG: Essentially, it’s a coin flip. It all comes down to who plays better on the final day. The odds are probably something like this: 50% for LGD, 35% for PlayTime, 10% for Nemesis, and 5% for Amaru. Although Nemesis’s odds are higher, it’s hard to give them more because the team was formed recently, and they haven’t played in any major tournaments. But the players are very good.

SVG: I’m sorry, but this Nigma roster won’t make it to TI. I don’t know what’s going on with this organization. They just can’t decide what they believe in and stick to it. Which is pretty ironic, because they used to be the most stubborn team in that regard. So I have no idea what to think now.

Cap: Would you have believed in their previous rosters? It seems to me that they stuck with a certain core for a long time, and now they’ve let go of one of their key players—No!ob. I think they gave all their previous rosters a fair chance, but many of them didn’t achieve anything. So why stick with that?

SVG: I don’t know. It would be cool if they pulled it off. They had a pretty good run at TI last year, and nobody really believed in them except me at the beginning of the year, if you remember. I predicted that, so I’m not a Nigma Galaxy hater. I was one of the few who believed in the team from the start of last year, and they delivered. It was really cool to see.

I’m not biased, but I just don’t feel this team, this roster. Unless we get a god-tier lorenof. Maybe they should tell him he’s a stand-in and not sign him.

Cap: In a way, he is a stand-in. The team won’t stay together if they fail to qualify, I suppose.

<...>

SVG: Why did you choose “Nigma” over NAVI?

Cap: Well, NAVI blew the EWC qualifiers. And there were weaker teams there.

SVG: So they’ll learn from this and come back stronger. And it’s not like Nigma hasn’t failed in the past. That’s not even a good argument.

Cap: I don’t recall a situation where Nigma Galaxy lost to Pipsqueak+4.

SVG: Listen, don’t underestimate Pipsqueak+4. What kind of trash talk is that?! Take back what you said.

Cap: I won’t.

SVG: I think the qualifiers in Southeast Asia are the worst. People will laugh at this because there’s North America, but it doesn’t even exist. I don’t even take it into account.

Cap: Yeah, it’ll just be an exhibition match between GamerLegion and a team they threw together at the last minute.

SVG: Yeah, so I’m ruling out that region. Otherwise, it would definitely deserve that title. But Southeast Asia has been in this situation for a while now. Not even the best team comes out of there. One team goes to the LAN and gets knocked out early, while the better ones sit around thinking, “We need to change players”—and the roster shuffles begin. Then they play another qualifier, and the same old crap happens again. I’ve lost faith, Austin.

This region has been in zombie mode for quite some time now. And I know our fans from Southeast Asia will be really mad at me... Although, maybe they’ll agree. <...> I’m saying this out of love, because I love Southeast Asian Dota. I adore these teams and these players. Get your act together already! I feel like I’ve been saying this for five years now, and I know it’s not going to happen, but I have to keep saying it.