Cover-Credits:
Sébastien "Ceb" Debs has proven to be invaluable for OG Dota 2, both as a coach and offlaner, and most recently as Mikhail "Misha" Agatov's position five replacement. As he played as a stand-in for the team during the successful ESL One Stockholm Major campaign, he was once again invited to participate in the ongoing PGL Arlington Major. In a recent interview during the PGL broadcast, Ceb was asked about the change in the team dynamics when he was called into action. According to him, he brings a great deal of experience and the ability to handle tense situations to the young OG roster. Ceb believes that his experience becomes even more valuable while Misha, who is otherwise the most experienced player, is missing out.
Ceb says he brings a lot of experience to OG whenever he fills in for Misha
Although stand-in situations are typically not advantageous for most teams, OG seemed to benefit from playing the Stockholm Major with Ceb filling in throughout as the team won the event. When Misha failed to obtain a visa for the Arlington Major as well, Ceb was once again called upon to fill in the missing position.
In situations like these for OG, Ceb feels that he encourages the players to tap into their ability to hold their nerves during anxious moments inside the game. In this way, he is able to deliver a positive impact to the team, which results in the players' personal growth.
“I mean it’s kind of cool. I think I get to bring a little bit more of the experience side, kinda within the team directly. I think, as much as I try to help them outside of the competition, when you are in the heat of the moment with your backs against the wall, in really tensed situations and emotional situations, I feel like I can impact the team’s mindset and personal development much more. So, in that sense, it’s very positive, also when Misha sits back. Misha also had more experience with me and N0tail because he was coaching us at TI. They didn’t so they are kinda catching up to Misha’s mindset.”
Ceb is known in the esports community for having one of the sharpest minds and keeping calm under pressure, which has played a key role in OG's back to back TI victories. For the new OG roster as well, Misha and Tommy "Taiga" Le have previously spoken about Ceb's ability to deliver "speeches" that help the team deal with tough situations.
Talking about what he and the team expect from the Arlington Major, Ceb said that they don’t pressurise themselves with some finish but their focus continues to be on winning the title.
“I mean, no expectations in the sense that we don’t pressure ourselves into anything. At the same time, we are here to win. So obviously, we won’t settle until we win the tournament.”
It has been a moderate start for OG in Group A so far, with two wins after six games. It appears that the team has struggled to find the rhythm as a five man unit, the kind displayed at the Stockholm Major with Ceb. Soniqs will be OG's next opponent in the group stage on 6th August.
