Artstyle interviewed @ GamesCom 2011 DotA 2

- Here is Ivan “Viper” Antonov! Hi ArtStyle! How are you doing?
- Great.
- You played flawlessly the last games and really outdone yourself.
Usually other players are in the highlight, how come you performed so well?
- Money, money, money…
- So money motivates you the most, doesn’t it?
- Of course.
- Please tell us about the game. It seemed to be even (50/50 chance)
in the beginning but after your two pushes your chances got really slim.
- Frankly that 50/50 chance you are talking about
is your and other spectators’ opinion.Because we understand the game
slightly different.We were completely dominating in the early game
and for Na`Vi such start means like 80% chance for the victory.
I mean I farmed my items, Dendi was doing good in solo-mid,
Puppey was farming forests. Yet, we were getting split-pushed quite hard,
did pretty bad exchanges and they weren’t profitable.
Overall we did bad decisions. We also rushed their high-ground and sucked.
But that didn’t mean anything: everything was to be decided in the first good fight.
Once we’ve got this fight, we crushed everything. Also Storm Spirit was unlucky…
- Unlucky, yeah!
- It helped, of course…
- Was it decisive for the match result?
- It was decisive for two lines and gave us 100% victory.
But I think we would get to the high-ground sooner or later anyway.
- So if you hadn’t been able to get that second push,
the game would have been continued in the late-stage?
- Yeah, but even in this late-game Viper and PotM has the most slots
if you would compare the money. Balanar, Enchantress and Storm have less slots.
- So they would not counter you?
- Yeah.
- It happens that you are going to play tomorrow
versus one of the strongest Chinese team - IG.
- They were also recruited…
- They were recruited, haha? So they are going to fight for the money as well!
Did you follow their style, what can you say about it?
- Actually, when we first arrived on this tournament
and I saw how other teams play, I wasn’t impressed by any of them.
You see that it is your chance to win a million
even without putting the maximum efforts into it.
I don’t put my nose in the air, I’m not overconfident or something,
but the teams’ level is just like that.
- How Na`Vi’s practice was different from other team’s practice?
Why we manage to play better?
- First of all huge thanks to Na`Vi for their training base
where our CS team practices. It is really excellent.
We were able to fully concentrate and prepare, just like we were at home.
All five of us werefeeling just like at their homes.
- What can you say about DotA 2 and Valve?
It’s the first time you participate in such a show-match tournament.
What are your impressions?
- It feels perfect. I just can complain a little about strange buses…
We walk home on foot. So the promised buses were not there.
Overall I think there was no purpose in million dollar prize,
all teams would attend for $300 000…
We’ve already talked with you about that earlier today.
But still it’s a cool way to promote the game,
big thanks to Valve for it! I am very thankful for this million.
- Well it’s not yours yet so you’re going to fight for it like anyone else!
How would you predict the future of the tournaments like that?
- There won’t be such tournaments anymore.
- Do you think so?
- Yeah, it’s like StarCraft launch. I think they will do tournaments
with $100 000, $50 000 which is still more than original DotA had.
- And even in Counter-Strike.
- All teams attended ESWC to compete for $14 000.
And here we already have $35 000. It’s fine.
- Yeah, it’s decent.
- Okay Vanya, thanks for interview. Any shootouts?
- Yeah, big thanks to our sponsors:Antec, Kaspersky, SteelSeries.
SteelSeries has good devices… Here comes DIMAGA…
- DIMAGA, where?
- Here is DIMAGA! DIMAGA, how are you doing?
- And well… I don’t know, if you continue to play DotA 1, do it on Darer. It’s good!
- Thanks, Vanya!