Esports
With OG once again qualifying for The International, N0tail and the team now have their sights set firmly on defending the Aegis of Immortality.
OG have etched themselves into the Dota 2 history books by becoming the first team to win The International twice and the only team to defend the title. After qualifying for The International 10 in Bucharest, the team is again looking to defend the Aegis. Reflecting on the wild ride of the qualifiers, Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein sat down to discuss all things TI.
The International 10 regional qualifiers
N0tail and the team had quite the adventure in the qualifiers, with every best of three requiring the third game to decide it, that was until they met Tundra in the Upper Bracket Final and lost 2-0. Losing at this stage is tough because even if you win the Loser Bracket Final, you know you’ll have to turn it around and beat the team who sent you to the lower bracket. However, N0tail wasn’t the slightest bit worried about it: “Pff! Winning the upper bracket is usually a mistake.”
The lower bracket has certainly been kind to OG. Their first title at a Valve sponsored event was in 2015, at the Frankfurt Major, when they went all the way through the lower bracket to beat Team Secret 3-1.
Ahead of this event, OG were finally able to attend a bootcamp and get all players into the same room, which is important with Syed Sumail ‘SumaiL’ Hassan residing in North America. N0tail even went as far as to say: “We would’ve never qualified without our awesome bootcamp setup!”
It’s no secret that OG have always performed better in a LAN environment and when the qualifiers are an online event, you have to create your own LAN. N0tail explains: “The closer we are to each other the easier we can connect. Without that, we couldn’t be the best team.”
Whatever the performances have been like this year, the team playing under the OG banner can always turn it up to 11 when The International rolls around. When N0tail moved over to Dota 2, it was obvious what the goal was: “It was already very clear what it is that you play for, there’s only one tournament and one thing to achieve there. It’s winning the world championship.”
TI can be a huge stress on players. This is the tournament you’ve spent the last year preparing for and have probably dreamt about winning since you started playing Dota 2, and then there’s the life-changing money you can win. N0tail thinks they’ve found the perfect formula in their training to deal with the pressure. “The approach in practice to how you’ll cope with all the outside pressure is a fine art and one I think we do very well.”
OG have also been working with sports psychologist Mia Stellberg, who has been with the team since 2019. N0tail is a big believer in her work, saying: “I don’t think we could achieve our best version without her. Mia has been great and I believe a good fit is as important as good qualities.”
Preparation for The International 10
Originally, The International 10 was due to start a few weeks after the qualifiers, giving OG very little time to prepare for the event itself. N0tail says: “After a bit of distance and a lot of thinking I’m actually happier playing after a break.” Even if, he admits: “Part of me really wanted to play directly after the qualifier, as would most players I’m sure.”
Nevertheless, N0tail is excited to be heading back to the biggest event in Dota 2, unable to hide his excitement: “Whenever my mind goes here part of me wishes it started tomorrow! It feels like I’ve been cheated of Christmas and my birthday, but it’s here and I’m finally getting my Dota fill!”
Finally, N0tail shares who he thinks will be the biggest challenge for OG: “I think Elephant and LGD will be strong from the east, with many big names and a lot of synergy after the last patch.”
LGD had a strong season, winning the WePlay AniMajor and placing third in the Singapore Major. However, N0tail noted some strength coming from regions closer to home, adding: “Secret, VP and Teamspirit will also be a strong force." Secret were utterly dominant for portions of last year and VP won their regional league twice.
N0tail also noted that the CIS region has played a lot of Dota: “I think the CIS teams have had the most practise hours out of all the western region and it paid off.” But ultimately, N0tail is most excited to play against North American rival EG.
You can catch N0tail and OG playing at The International 10 in Bucharest, Romania, from October 7.