Cover-Credits:
Dota 2 veterans like Sébastien "Ceb" Debs, Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi, Danil "Dendi" Ishutin, and Clement "Puppey" Ivanov, have been part of the game's esports scene since its inception and have cemented their status as a highly respected group of players. As the years progress, some have continued to thrive while others like KuroKy and Dendi have faced significant challenges in terms of performance and results in recent years.
Ceb shared his thoughts with Ukrainian content creator Morf about KuroKy and Dendi's difficult times in a recent interview. According to him, these players likely lack the required motivation, even if they believe they bear the motivation. He related a past experience in which his former teammate Johan "N0tail" Sundstein coached him about what being driven as a pro player actually meant.
Ceb feels KuroKy and Dendi may not be as driven as before
In the discussion of other veteran players' performance, Ceb said that while Puppey has not had the best results lately, he does not consider Puppey to be struggling like the others since he reached the finals of The International (TI) just two years ago
However, it was his opinion that KuroKy and Dendi were having a difficult time due to a possible lack of motivation.
“It’s true for others (KuroKy and Dendi). They are having a rough time. I don’t know how motivated they are if I am honest. Sometimes, you think you are motivated but it’s fake because there are things that you don’t actually do.”
Using an incident with N0tail as an example, Ceb explained that even when players are not that motivated, they can be disillusioned into believing they are.
“Like one day, N0tail opened my eyes on something - I was frustrated with the game. I was not toxic but frustrated, my emotions were taking control. He actually got mad at me - you think you are driven, you think you are a motivated person that you really want it more than others, and that’s why you are frustrated right now. That’s what you think.
He said if you wanted it really badly, you would learn how to deal with your frustration and you would learn how to stay positive all the time. You would learn how to support people even when you lost everything. You would learn all these things if you really wanted it.
He opened my eyes. I really felt like a kid. That thought, I was something and he made me realize that you are not like this, you are something else. I really got taught something that day.”
In discussing motivation and its relation to improving and not getting frustrated, Ceb questioned KuroKy and Dendi’s current mindset in this regard.
“I think when you really want it, you get it. You improve, you change and maybe they are not as motivated as they think they are. Maybe when they start Dota, they are not as excited as they were 10 years ago maybe. I don’t know, it’s hard to say.”
Valve
The careers of Dendi and KuroKy have been marked by top results, including TI1 and TI7 wins. However, after Dendi departed Natus Vincere in 2019 and KuroKy left Team Liquid the same year, both players have struggled to find success despite different rosters and playstyles.
Both players have their own organizations currently. KuroKy is the captain and leader of Nigma Galaxy, whereas Dendi plays for and leads B8.
