How EternaLEnVy Turned N0tail into a Carry Player

Despite OG's absence from The International 2023 (TI12), the team has opted for a unique way to come together and celebrate the tournament with its fans. OG's streamer Janne "Gorgc" Stefanovski organized a TI watch party within the confines of Johan "N0tail" Sundstein's mansion. This gathering served as a platform for loyal OG fans to unite, watch the games, and savor the collective experience.

On a recent livestream, Gorgc engaged in a candid conversation with N0tail, delving into the intriguing tale of N0tail's transition from a support player to a carry in Dota 2 esports. The shift in N0tail's career trajectory remains a captivating topic for fans and enthusiasts of the esports scene.

“EternalEnVy Made Me Do It,” Says N0tail on his Shift to Carry

Once renowned as a formidable support player, N0tail underwent a pivotal transformation when he took on the role of carry after his tenure at Cloud9. He was the carry player for (monkey) business, which eventually became OG, one of the storied teams in Dota 2 history. 

Gorgc inquired about the rationale behind this role change. Gorgc asked, “I don’t remember. What made you switch from support to carry?” To this, N0tail, with characteristic candor, offered a quick response and said, "EternaLEnVy made me do it."

When N0tail was playing support, the mantle of the best carry player was assumed by none other than Jacky "EternaLEnVy" Mao. 

The relationship between these N0tail and EternaLEnVy has been characterized by its complexity, occasionally manifesting in vocal exchanges and disagreements. N0tail noted in a prior stream that Cloud9 was the most toxic team he’s ever been a part of. 

N0tail's Legacy as a Carry Player

Reflecting on his transition to carry, N0tail said, “You play support to Envy for a while and eventually you…,” hinting that EternaLEnVy wasn't the ideal player he had envisioned supporting.

N0tail also pointed to the influence of Evil Geniuses (EG) and its star player Clinton "Fear" Loomis’ style of play. He noted, "This is an inspiration from EG and Fear on how they played and other stuff but yeah definitely my experience with Envy was like holy f**k man. Like if I got to play with a support, ‘I have to save the future support from this [kind of] experience kind of deal,’ you know."

Notably, N0tail made his departure from Cloud9 on 14th August 2015, and swiftly joined (monkey) Business as a carry player on the 28th August 2015. The squad was soon signed by OG, marking the beginning of a new chapter in N0tail's career. In this period, he achieved remarkable success, clinching numerous titles that solidified his reputation as a top-tier carry player. These accolades include:

•  Frankfurt Major 2015

•  DreamLeague Season 4

•  DreamLeague Season 5

•  Manila Major 2016

•  ESL One Frankfurt 2016

•  Boston Major 2016

•  Kiev Major 2017

•  MDL Macau 2017

However, on 4th June 2018, a significant change swept through the ranks of OG, as it welcomed Anathan "ana" Pham and Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen into its fold. This notable development marked a turning point in the career of Johan "N0tail" Sundstein, as he transitioned back and re-embraced the position of a support from the carry role. Thankfully, he found great success with his new team.

N0tail, along with his team OG, stands as the only team to secure two coveted The International (TI) champion titles in 2018 and 2019.