Cover-Credits:
In a candid interview released by the Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show before the grand finals showdown between Team Falcons and The Dudley boys, Andreas “Cr1t-” Frank Nielsen, the support player for Team Falcons, shared nostalgic memories from his early days in Dota 2. He also opened up about pre-game nerves among other things. Cr1t- also narrated his experience of ascending the grand stage of Dota 2 esports.
Cr1t-'s Nervous Beginnings & Growth in Dota 2 Esports
Reflecting on his first taste of the limelight at the Frankfurt Major 2015, Cr1t- reminisced about his time with (monkey) Business. Though specifics of the heroes the team played eluded him, he distinctly remembered a pivotal best-of-one clash against Fnatic, marked by an unconventional strategy utilizing Dazzle’s Shallow Grave to keep Huskar alive while Huskar front-lined the fights.
“I remember playing some best of 1 against Fnatic, and I don't remember if we had Alchemist or Meepo [Note: They played Huskar], anyway, some very dirty strategy. We won that bo1-series and got momentum further in the tournament,” Cr1t- noted.
"I think it was a great start for me as a professional player. I got under pressure in my first tournament, overcame it and won the event. That was a good sign. I showed myself that I can do it, even if it's hard. If you overcome the first obstacle, you can go all the way," shared Cr1t- regarding the tournament that served as a launching pad for his career.
Opening up about his first on-stage interview, Cr1t- admitted, "I wasn't nervous about Dota, but I was standing on stage, I had to speak in English in front of a lot of people, I was 18-19 years old. Probably the most nervous moment I've ever had." Despite the anxiety, Cr1t- highlighted personal growth, asserting that he's less nervous now and has overcome the intense jitters of his early career.
In summarizing his journey from nervous beginnings to championship glory, Cr1t- added, "When I talk to the team, my emotions might be something unstable or something like that, but I wouldn't say I'm still nervous to the point of shaking risk or anything like that. I've gone past that."
Turning attention to the present, Team Falcons, the newly formed team, emerged victorious in the Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show. After an early stumble against The dudley boys in the upper bracket semifinals, the team displayed remarkable resilience in the lower bracket, knocking out Yellow Submarine (lower quarters), Virtus.pro (lower semis) and also Team Tickles (lower bracket finals). Ultimately, it sealed the championship with a decisive 3-0 series triumph in the grand finals against the dudley boys.
With this victory at hand, Cr1t- and Team Falcon now look toward ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 where the squad will face off against two of the strongest teams in Dota 2, LGD Gaming and Team Liquid, on the same day.
