BetBoom Team's midlaner Danil "gpk" Skutin has been one of the finest young players in competitive Dota 2, possessing unparalleled mechanical skill. In his early career, he was known to invest a staggering amount of time into the game, but that might not be the case anymore, according to a recent interview with escorenews. According to gpk, last year's last chance qualifier defeat at The International (TI) forced him to rethink his unflagging commitment to Dota 2. Unlike before, gpk now maintains a balance between his professional and personal life and no longer gets overly emotional after losing games in pubs. Now, the 21-year-old is more concerned with improving himself gradually instead of dedicating himself to the greatest extent possible.
Gpk talks about his changed approach to Dota 2
According to gpk, he used to play Dota 2 all day as part of his dedication to the game. In the past, he would play one game after another regardless of the outcome, but there has been a shift in the last year, he added.
“I guess since the Last Chance, I've rethought a lot of things in general and started to take such situations more easily. I used to treat Dota in such a way: if it doesn't exist, I won't have anything. I didn't do anything in my life, I didn't rest, I just sat and played. Now I have a slightly different mindset: you need to play, but if you already feel bad about pubs, it's better not to crush them in a bad mood and not to spoil it for the others. My attitude towards ... in official games has changed too.”
Even though griefing among Dota 2 players, even professionals, is not uncommon in pubs, gpk has gained notoriety for ruining games due to getting overwhelmed by outcomes that go against him, such as hero and lane steals, being first-blooded by the enemy midlaner, being ganked by multiple opponents, and more.
While he mentioned that he is not as committed as he once was, he is still striving to improve as a player. At the same time, gpk ascribed his initial approach to Dota 2 to being typical of players from Eastern Europe. Dota 2 being the only emphasis has helped players grow in the region, but it may not be the healthiest option, he noted.
“There are people who give themselves to Dota 100%, but I guess I can't call myself one of them now. I just try to play and improve my personal skill and team level. I think people who play 24/7 only live in CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). In Europe, I'm sure they don't push pubs all the time. It's in CIS such mentality: you're dead inside, you play 24/7, you don't eat anything. I used to think it was the way to go, but now I wouldn't say it's a good thing. But the players from our region are the strongest, so maybe that's the thing.”
Having gained enough experience over the years despite his young age, gpk has learned that emotions might peak at times of failure, but it is crucial to not dwell on them and to move on.
“Life doesn't end on defeat or on not qualifying for TI: you can lie in a tilt for one night, but there's no point in dawdling for very long because it will only go down the drain. I'm not a fan of depression. Already. I don't get caught up in anything anymore. Just giving myself to Dota for as long as I can.”
Overall, even the team that gpk has been a part of throughout the years has not been the best at controlling emotions, resulting in not obtaining the desired outcomes despite being one of the best on paper.
Given the midlaner's insights, now may be the moment for BetBoom to shine, since it is also in top form and is one of the top favorites to win the Riyadh Masters 2023, which boasts a massive $15,000,000 USD prize pool.