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In the realm of Dota 2's competitive landscape, Team Liquid has long been regarded as one of the top two teams globally, standing side by side with its formidable rival, Gaimin Gladiators. The team's exceptional performance in the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) Western Europe (WEU) has solidified its position as a force to be reckoned with, consistently securing first-place standing in both the 1st and 2nd Tours. However, despite its consistent success, Team Liquid suffered three consecutive grand finals defeats at the hands of its rival, Gaimin Gladiators, in the Lima Major 2023, Dreamleague Season 19, and Berlin Major 2023.
Nevertheless, its resilience shines through as it became the first team to secure a direct qualification spot for The International 12. As the DPC Tour 3 commenced, Team Liquid faced a one-sided loss to Entity in its first series but managed to reclaim its stride with an impressive 2-0 victory over Team Secret. In the aftermath of this triumph, Aydin "iNSaNiA" Sarkohi from Team Liquid took center stage for a post-match interview, shedding light on their recent endeavors and their quest for renewed energy.
Team Liquid's Approach for Tour 3 and Seeking Energy for TI
During a post-match interview, Insania from Team Liquid shed light on the team's mindset and strategy for Tour 3 of the DPC). In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of finding energy and taking a slightly slower approach to prepare for upcoming tournaments such as the Riyadh Masters, Dreamleague, and most significantly, The International 12.
“Yeah now that we're qualified for TI we look at the schedule and we realize that there's not really a lot of time to try and like find some energy again and to get into it again so we're taking it a bit slower this Season 3 (Tour 3) and try and focus up more energy for potentially Dreamleague, the Riyadh Masters and TI coming up, so taking it a bit more chill than usual," Insania said.
The player also reflected on their match against Entity in the interview and showed respect for their opponents, emphasizing that any team capable of defeating them deserves recognition. He acknowledged that perhaps the team had slightly reduced their preparation efforts leading up to the games, but he credited Entity for its strong performance, acknowledging that it was one of the most challenging losses he had experienced.
“For sure, any team that beats us, they're still beating us so they deserve all the respect in the world. I don’t think you should discredit anyone, we're still trying to play our best whenever we lose a ton of good games but maybe we're putting slightly less effort into the preparation leading up to the games than we normally do, so huge credit to them (Entity). I don’t remember the last time I was stomped in that manner. I feel like even at Lima when we were playing with Jabz, it did not feel quite that bad. Huge credit to them, I think they look really hot," he added.
Team Liquid's decision to take a more relaxed approach and prioritize energy restoration is understandable considering the demanding schedule and intense competition in the Dota 2 scene this year. Notably, even players from other teams, such as Tundra's Martin "Saksa" Sazdov, have experienced burnout and had to take breaks during Dreamleague Season 19. This highlights the significance of managing physical and mental well-being in such a demanding esports landscape.
Team Liquid's conscious choice to pace itself and find energy before The International exemplifies its dedication to maintaining peak performance. As they navigate Tour 3 and beyond, fans eagerly anticipate seeing a revitalized and energized Team Liquid, ready to make its mark on the Dota 2 scene once again.
