Yuma on the mindset of different regions: “South American teams are the best in that regard.”

Yuma: South American teams are the best in this regard. At least, judging by the two teams I spent the most time with—LGD and Hokori, back in 2022, I think. It all boiled down to the fact that you do almost nothing but Dota, and people don’t really want to go out and do anything beyond that.

At LGD, some teammates might still go out somewhere and do something together, but others preferred to just stay put: play, work—and that’s it. For them, nothing else existed. When I played for Nouns, the atmosphere was much friendlier: we’d go out and do things together. I think that’s the key difference.

I think there needs to be a little bit of both. Let’s say we qualified for TI—that means we need to experience this event together. Even if you personally don’t feel like going and watching a match for two hours, you still have to do it, because moments like these are experienced as a team. At the same time, you can’t just relax all the time—you need to improve your game, practice, and analyze footage. That’s why balance is important. Combining both is a healthy approach.

Yuma: In the game, he’s much more mature than some of us—no joke—but outside of it, he’s a total kid. He spends all day on TikTok. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without his AirPods—he’s got them in all day and endlessly scrolls through videos. Outside of the game, it’s just like being back in school: you say something silly, like a joke about private parts, and he bursts into wild laughter. Say “67” or show him a TikTok, and TaiLung is already laughing his head off.

I like that—he’s fun to hang out with. At least, out of all the Peruvian players, I’ve formed the closest bond with him. As someone accurately pointed out, he’s just a typical modern teenager—he laughs at silly jokes.

KJ: We played together back in SG esports, and we always wanted to do something big for the scene, try to make a difference, and finally become truly strong at Dota. Unfortunately, after SG, our paths diverged: I joined HEROIC, and he went to Shopify Rebellion, and from the outside, it seemed like he had just disappeared. But in reality, he hadn’t gone anywhere—all that time he was grinding away, living in Fertil, Brazil. We often joked that it wasn’t the best city, but he never moved away because he was literally just playing and waiting for his chance.

He’d have his moments, but nothing ever quite clicked, and he never gave up once. I often notice that people who play better than him—and even those at the same level or weaker—give up sooner; they just stop wanting to compete. Especially the stronger ones, for some reason. But he didn’t give up after his third The International. He made it to that tournament with Hokori, and after that he didn’t have any major achievements, but he kept improving every day for a long time. Finally seeing him come back and realizing just how much he has to offer—both as a friend and as a teammate—is incredibly gratifying.