Gaming
esports
SumaiL is back with OG and the Dota 2 world feels right again
Syed Sumail 'SumaiL' Hassanre is rejoining OG just a few weeks before The International 10 qualifiers kick off, filling the slot that ana left behind. Will this time be different?
The International winner Syed Sumail 'SumaiL' Hassan has already enjoyed a stint with legendary Dota 2 squad OG back at the start of 2020, where he played with the team for around six months. During that time he also played the carry role, but things were different back then.
The first and most important fact is that he played from North America while the rest of the team played in Europe. As a result, SumaiL had to deal with atrocious ping (upwards of 100+) and a crazy schedule that would see him either staying up late to play, or getting up extremely early. But now, with Sumail having just been in Europe for the WePlay AniMajor hosted in Kiev, he was able to join team-mate and OG captain Johan 'N0tail' Sundstein at his house in Portugal.
"I'm going to stay with Johan in Lisbon for a bit and then boot camp with the team in Copenhagen," he tells Red Bull in his first interview since rejoining the two-time winners of the Aegis of Champions.
With Sumail able to be in the same timezone as his team-mates and even the same location when the team boot camps, the Dota veteran is hopeful that we'll see a huge difference this time around. Being able to be with the team will allow him to fully integrate into a roster that's already very familiar with its core members. The boot camp will also be important for OG, as it will allow them to all work together to create that beautiful style of Dota we love.
Last throw of the dice for the three-peat
Sumail joins OG at a very important period for the squad, as they prepare to run the gauntlet that is The International 10 open qualifiers. With the likes of Nigma and Team Liquid (SumaiL's former team) also playing, it's going to be a serious test.
For OG to defend their Aegis, they must win a double-elimination bracket, with their first game against Vikin.gg. Sumail touched on who he thought would be their toughest opponents and not unsurprisingly he thought Team Liquid and Nigma would be the hardest to beat. However, the event being online does mean that any team can be a threat, as we often see in online events.
"I think the qualifiers being online makes it so everyone is kind of a threat. But, let's say if it was at LAN, I'd say Nigma and Liquid would be by far the biggest hurdle," SumaiL says.
The good news for OG fans is that the team has already beaten Team Liquid and Nigma recently in the ESL One Summer 2021 tournament. They faced them both in the lower bracket, winning 2–0 each time. Expect both of these teams to perform better when the International's multi-million-dollar prize pot is on the line, though.
Changing position
SumaiL just spent two months playing the mid-lane role for Team Liquid and is now transitioning back to the carry for OG. He touched on what he thinks the biggest differences are between the two roles since they merged closer together in recent Dota metas.
"Carry is more about thinking, less playing off of the flow. The difference isn't too big, or something to overthink about," he says, casually.
While this is a role he's played before, he will have to adapt and adapt fast, because the qualifiers are rapidly approaching. Do so should be a bit easier for SumaiL, though, as OG possess a clear playing style that hasn't changed in his absence.
When asked if he could only draft one hero forever, who would he pick, SumaiL bluntly responded: "Terrorblade." Terrorblade, of course, is currently seeing quite a lot of action right now in pro Dota, so expect to see OG play him a lot – if he doesn't get banned first. Getting comfort heroes for your team is important, but they don't always work when you have a set person playing a role.
The International 10 qualifiers pose a serious challenge for OG, with the Western European region widely regarded as one of the strongest in Dota right now. Combined with a new player joining the ranks, things look hard for the defending champions. However, with a good performance at the ESL One Summer and a quality camp behind them, OG will be raring to go. Of course, you can never, ever count OG out – they won TI8 in 2018 after running the qualifying gauntlet, after all. Welcome back SumaiL.
