Puppey Says 'Haters Gotta Stay Down' After ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 Closed Qualifier Run

The Western European qualifier for ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 was extremely competitive and it saw the participation of strong teams. On the first day, Team Secret looked disjointed but recovered well on the second day with an impressive lower bracket run, qualifying for the main event of ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023.

After a dominating 2-0 victory over Entity in the lower bracket finals in the closed qualifiers, Team Secret's captain Clement "Puppey" Ivanov joined Janne "Gorgc" Stefanovski on a Twitch stream for a conversation. What followed next was Puppey’s nonchalant talks and boss-like attitude that made for some funny interaction between the two.

Puppey Calls Out Haters On Gorgc's Stream

The Dota 2 community has been vocal about its distaste for Team Secret’s new roster, even going to the extent of calling it “the worst” in several subreddits. These comments have garnered huge community engagement and sparked discussions. Seemingly enraged by this, while on Gorgc’s stream, Puppey called out the haters and stated that they have to be shown their place.

Puppey, in his characteristically laid-back style, started off with a casual "I'm here," after which Gorgc welcomed Puppey to the stream and congratulated him on the team's success.

When Puppey sarcastically asked why Gorgc was congratulating him, Gorgc, with a hint of humor, said, “Smacking some noobs around. What do you mean? That wasn’t you, that I was just watching?" referring to Team Secret's recent victory in the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 closed qualifier.

Puppey, still maintaining his nonchalant demeanor, responded, "No, I mean, you know, it's usual, you know, the casual. I do that all the time, right?" While Gorgc acknowledged the player and Team Spirit’s consistency, he playfully added, "Yeah, I mean, you did it with Ogre today, though."

Immediately, an amped-up Puppey seized the opportunity to share his perspective on handling critics. He said, “Man, once the haters start coming up, man, you know you gotta put them in their place, you know what I'm saying?" Gorgc seconded this and added, “[Haters] gotta stay down, right?"

With a touch of defiance, Puppey exclaimed, "They gotta stay down, man. I don't know what the f**k they're talking about."

The conversation then shifted to the in-game choices made by Team Secret, particularly the use of unconventional heroes like Ogre Magi and Pudge. Gorgc remarked, "Ogre, Pudge, that's just to send a message that ‘we're so much better than you.’" Puppey, expressing a certain disdain for the current meta, declared, "Meta is boring, dude. Just pick Pudge."

Gorgc humorously concluded the exchange by mentioning the upcoming "Monday meta." This was a reference to when Valve announced the release of patch 7.34e, which fell on Monday, 20th November. He also suggested that Team Secret is already playing ahead of the curve. The banter between the two players provided fans with a lighthearted glimpse into the team's camaraderie and confidence following its successful qualifier run.

As Team Secret looks forward to the main tournament at ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, fans can anticipate more unconventional strategies and entertaining moments from Puppey and the rest of the squad. ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 is set to kick off on 11th December.