Cover-Credits:
The Shanghai Major
In the annals of Dota 2 history, few moments are as legendary as Team Secret's miraculous victory at the Shanghai Major in 2016. A recent Twitch stream brought forth the memories and insights of Johan "pieliedie" Åström, a former player on that unforgettable roster, and 2-time TI winner Johan "Notail" Sundstein.
The 2016 Team Secret lineup was a powerhouse, featuring Jacky "EternalEnvy" Mao, Aliwi "w33" Omar, Rasmus "MISERY" Filipsen, Clement "Puppey" Ivanov, and Johan "pieliedie" Åström. But it was a victory that defied expectations, and the question still lingers: How did they do it?
Pieliedie provides insight on How Team Secret won The Shanghai Major 2016
During one of the Dreamleague Season 21 matches, Notail marveled at the improbable win, stating, "One of the biggest miracles in life was Envy winning Shanghai. It happened, you know?" In response, Pieliedie, who was on the team during this journey, offered insights into the dynamics that propelled Team Secret to victory.
Pieliedie emphasized Puppey's role as the team's captain. Despite EternalEnvy's reputation for being short-tempered and opinionated, under Puppey's leadership, they found synergy.
"They worked well for eight months," pieliedie said. "It was only after misery and W33ha were kicked because W33ha was like the dog like everyone in this you know what I mean people are so rude to him. but he also kind of deserved it a lot of the time, he always did like stupid sh*t in-game out of game.”
"The nice thing about that team I think maybe it's because he (EternalEnvy) came from the C9 earlier where he fought with FATA- all the time. He said everyone listens to Puppey. Like that was the rule, if Puppey said something then when you go with what Puppey said," explained pieliedie.
Puppey's dominance as a captain was a cornerstone of Secret's success. When everyone followed his lead and shared the same vision, they were nearly unbeatable. Pieliedie added, "Puppey is a dominant captain; he expects teammates to follow. When everyone on the team is on the same page and listening to Puppey, it can be difficult to beat them."
However, the addition of Artour "Arteezy" Babaev and Saahil "Universe" Arora following the conclusion of The Shanghai Major 2016 marked a turning point for the team. Pieliedie expressed, "When Arteezy and Universe joined, it was like GG." This shift in dynamics contributed to the team's fall.
Nonetheless, Secret's triumph in Shanghai remains an unforgettable moment in Dota 2 history.
