Working with PARIVISION, Team Secret’s hiatus, and his friendship with YapzOr—highlights from Mrs. Marple’s interview with Puppey

PARIVISION coach Clement “Puppey” Ivanov discussed working with the club’s players and his view of his public image, explained the reason behind Team Secret’s hiatus, and named Yazid “YapzOr” Jaradat the best person in Dota 2. Highlights from Mrs. Marple’s interview with Puppey—in our article.

Puppey explained that after losing in the qualifiers for The International 2025, he intended to start dedicating more time to practice because he felt his skill level had declined. When he dropped to 121st place in the rankings, No[o]ne- suggested he try his hand at coaching. Clément noted that he accepted because the offer was non-binding, and upon meeting the players, he really liked the club’s boot camp.

Clement stated that he understands the game better than others, and if he meets someone who also approaches Dota 2 creatively, he tries to absorb their ideas. “I’ve been living in Dota for so long that it’s true. It’s just true that Dota works well with me—it’s a symbiosis,” Puppey noted. What surprised him most about the team was 9Class—his playstyle and approach to the MOBA. Edgar fits the description of the kind of player Puppey wants to learn from, as he’s capable of coming up with his own meta: Slark, Pudge, and Monkey King as “fours.”

When Noticed joined the roster, the atmosphere during post-game discussions became more positive—thanks to the newcomer’s personality. “I’d say that because of this, it’s much easier now to talk about ideas and what we need to do as a team, because nothing gets in the way,” Ivanov noted. He explained that in such an atmosphere, there would be no unnecessary negativity or negative emotions toward teammates.

Puppey described Satanic as a chaotic player who is very strong at Dota 2. According to him, Satanic has a good but inflated ego: he’s a good person, but he’s used to hanging out only with Dota players, and this, in Clement’s opinion, isn’t the best community for personal growth. He has repeatedly told Alan that he doesn’t like the way he talks to him and believes that the player may not yet realize that some people might be sucking up to him and taking advantage of him.

Before joining PV, Puppey expected to find a well-established team with a history of victories and a bronze medal at The International 2025, but earlier this year, the team was facing many problems. Klement clarified that this is a common situation for any team, since everyone faces challenges. He tried to work on the esports players’ skills and talk with them—not because of his role, but simply because he understood that the players needed to vent.

Despite having good ideas, the players lacked the “form” needed for drafts and developing new concepts; without it, the players’ suggestions would be chaotic: some would turn out to be correct, and some harmful, but there would be no way to distinguish between them.

According to Puppey, the coach’s and captain’s job is to always be in top form and guide the players, encouraging them to master the heroes necessary for their strategies. He cited his interaction with Satanic as an example: even if Satanic initially refuses to play a certain hero, Clement doesn’t stop reaching out to him, and sooner or later the carry agrees to expand his hero pool. “It’s not like I troll him every day or anything like that; I just show him things and give him advice,” the coach clarified.

Puppey stated that he doesn’t care about his legacy or what people say about him. He finds fulfillment in his work as a coach, but not because it makes him someone important, but because he’s working with someone who chose to collaborate with him, and he wants his friend to do well. If he sees that his friend is making a mistake or doing something wrong in life, he’ll tell him about it and won’t hold a grudge. According to Clement, legacy doesn’t matter because everyone will die someday, so he doesn’t care what others think of him—after all, they don’t really know anything—and the only thing that matters is what actually happens in life.

The suspension of activities was due to the club’s lack of funds, Puppey explained. Sponsors from the gambling industry weren’t allocating large sums to teams they don’t fully control, while Dota 2 player salaries have risen significantly recently, creating problems for organizations such as Team Secret and Nigma Galaxy. According to Clement, the “bubble” has grown very large because so many people want to enter esports, but the situation should normalize in the future: sponsors will allocate less money, which will lead to lower salaries. Puppey said he would be willing to consider selling Team Secret, but not for a small sum.

As for media content, Ivanov believes it’s better to focus on results, which will bring in hundreds or thousands of times more money than a well-developed media image.

Puppey noted that European players are calmer and more reserved, while players from the CIS are often more emotional, blunt, and prone to negativity in their communication. As an example, he cited RAMZES, who might flame other players, and for him, that’s normal. European casters, on the other hand, express their emotions more gently—ODPixel is more likely to sympathize with a setback than to condemn it. For himself, he would choose a European roster because he likes the calm atmosphere and discussions about how to win, without the pressure. However, this approach has a downside: in European teams, players may avoid uncomfortable questions—even when they need to be asked—because no one wants to take responsibility.

The advantage of the Eastern European region, he says, is that players discuss problems right away, down to the smallest details, and this helps them adapt and improve. But without balance, such discussions can turn toxic. Nowadays, teams have coaches and psychologists, so this approach can be used effectively. Puppey described himself as a “hybrid”: he’s able to adapt to both communication styles, and on a team with four Europeans, he’s the one who ends up asking the uncomfortable questions.

Puppey said that he likes all the players he’s worked with, and many have shown an excellent level of play, such as Nisha. But his closest friend remains YapzOr—he called him the best person in the Dota 2 world and shared that he wants to do all kinds of things with him all the time. According to Clement, Yazid is the funniest player; you can sit with him for 10 hours straight and do anything. Anyone can have a good time with him because he’s very positive and friendly. When they hang out together, it feels to him as if they’re both a little drunk.

Puppey joined PARIVISION as a coach late last year—this is his first experience in the role of team coach. With the club, he won the 2026 Esports World Cup in Dota 2 and DreamLeague Season 29, and also took second place at The International 2026.

Photo: Valve.