Cover-Credits:
During a podcast titled “All Chat” hosted by English Dota 2 commentator Austin "Cap" Walsh, Team Liquid’s Aydin "iNSaNiA" Sarkohi noted that trash-talking and verbal exchanges made Dota 2 more interesting to watch. He opined that trash-talk helped the game and its esports grow over the years. The drama that ensued after the trash-talk in games made for “entertaining content” in Dota 2 as Cap stated. The caster even credited Johan "N0tail" Sundstein and Sébastien "Ceb" Debs for single-handedly starting the whole culture of trash-talk in the Dota 2 professional scene.
Staying true to his opinion about trash talk, iNSaNiA had some interesting words for Gaimin Gladiators. He boldly remarked that no matter how many majors Gaimin Gladiators wins, the crowd would always be on the side of Team Liquid.
Interestingly, the podcast episode also featured Gaimin Gladiators midlaner Quinn "Quinn" Callahan. The rivalry between Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators can only be attributed as one of the greatest in Dota 2 history. These two teams met at the finals of four tournaments in 2023, all going in favor of Gaimin Gladiators.
iNSaNiA Says Trash Talking Helped Dota Grow
During the podcast, iNSaNiA noted that heated verbal exchanges during any series made the games much more interesting and fun to watch. He said, “If you put the old EG [Evil Geniuses] and OG in one room and make them say something, then after that this series will become 10 times more exciting. It seems to me that it made Dota more spicy and fun. ‘Cause like it felt like there was a lot on the line and it was more than just like you win or lose a game. Like friendships ended, you know. It was drama in Dota.”
iNSaNiA further attributed Dota 2’s growth over the years to such verbal exchanges. “At such moments, it sometimes seemed that much more was put at stake than victory or defeat, a whole drama in the game began. It probably helped Dota grow up to where it is now,” he said.
Quinn revealed that the trash-talk culture is now a part of Dota and during one of the ESL tournaments, the tournament organizers asked Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov to flame the opponents before the game in a pre-game interview.
iNSaNiA says Team Liquid Will Always Have More Fans Than Gaimin Gladiators
The trio of iNSaNiA, Quinn, and Cap talked about various topics ranging from other game titles to the rivalry between the two teams throughout 2023. The Team Liquid player was not shy to hold back his words and told Gaimin Gladiators’ Quinn, “No matter how many major finals you win, the crowd will always be on our side.”
Cap then provided insights into Team Liquid’s huge fan following, emphasizing that its status as a “really old esports brand” played a pivotal role in attracting a large fanbase. Additionally, Cap delved into the reasons behind this, specifically in the Dota 2 community.
He recounted conversations with fans, noting that many of them became supporters due to a single event or moment that resonated with them, leading them to spontaneously decide, “This is my team now.”
Quinn agreed with Cap and pointed out Team Liquid’s iconic celebration at The International 2013 as one of the examples. He said, “There's so many Liquid fans because Bulba like jumped on stage and ran around off and stuff.”
Earlier, when Neta "33" Shapira joined Team Liquid, Samuel "Boxi" Svahn joked that to be a part of Team Liquid, “the first step is hating Gaimin Gladiators.” The rivalry between these two teams seems to continue into 2024. Both Liquid and Gladiators are invited to the BetBoom Dacha 2024 Dubai which is set to kick off on 4th February. We may very well see Team Liquid trying its history with Gaimin Gladiators.
