Western Time Lapse: MinD_ContRoL's Row and Ceb's Comedic Blows at DreamLeague Season 22
Cover-Credits:
AFK Gaming
This week in the Western Dota 2 circuit, the drama meter hit an all-time high, weaving a narrative so rich it could only be rivaled by Game of Thrones. Let's dive into the tales that had everyone from Twitch chat warriors to Reddit sleuths popping their popcorn.
MinD_ContRoL's Wild Ride: From Team Hugs to Solo Mugs and Dota 2's Game of Thrones
The Dota 2 scene was thrown into a frenzy when Tundra Esports decided to give Ivan "MinD_ContRoL" Ivanov the boot, in the middle of Dreamleague Season 22 just before Day 2’s matches kicked off. The drama unfolded faster than Arteezy’s disconnect after calling “GG”, beginning with MinD_ContRoL's bombshell tweet that he’d been axed from Tundra Esports right before they were due to clash with Shopify Rebellion at DreamLeague Season 22. The timing was impeccable, coming just days after Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg snagged the General Manager spot, making everyone wonder if zai's first order of business was to play musical chairs with the roster.
MinD_ContRoL, not one to leave us hanging without the juicy details, spilled the beans on Dota 2’s very own TMZ: Gorgc’s stream. He painted a picture of a Dota 2 team turned Game of Thrones, where Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko played Littlefinger, quietly snatching the captaincy in a move that would make Cersei Lannister proud. But MinD_ContRoL, ever the team player, was willing to overlook this betrayal for the sake of victory. His tolerance, however, had its limits.
Enter David "MoonMeander" Tan, the coach nobody asked for, according to MinD_ContRoL, who claimed he was practically strong-armed into giving the thumbs up. But the cherry on top was the appointment of Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg as General Manager, which MinD_ContRoL seemed to think was about as useful as a Skull Basher on Slardar. Feeling like a protagonist whose script had been rewritten one too many times, MinD_ContRoL issued an ultimatum to Tundra's CEO: it's him or me. Spoiler alert: it wasn't him.
In response to this Shakespearean tragedy, Tundra Esports swung the ban hammer, suspending MinD_ContRoL indefinitely for his refusal to play ball unless his "unreasonable" demands were met. The announcement was less of a surprise and more of a season finale cliffhanger, leaving fans on the edge of their seats, wondering what the next episode might bring in the saga of MinD_ContRoL vs. Tundra Esports.
But what makes this saga even more poignant is a heartfelt interview MinD_ContRoL gave to AFK Gaming just before the proverbial storm hit. In a moment of raw honesty and vulnerability, he opened up about his feelings towards his former and current teammates.
Of course, I miss the guys. I miss them, and I miss the atmosphere there. But in the new team, it’s completely different, actually. It’s different because we still don’t know each other well. We’re not yet friends, of course. We’re certainly trying to be friends, but these things take time since we haven’t known each other for very long. Developing friendships isn’t instantaneous; it doesn’t work like that just because you start a team together. I mean, you can’t force it. And I like that it’s new. In a way, I miss having this kind of fresh atmosphere outside of the gaming aspect. I spent eight years with Liquid and Nigma combined. That’s a long time. Before that, I wasn’t a professional player, and... I’m experiencing a bit of nostalgia from those days before I joined Liquid, now being in this team, which is a nice feeling. It’s lovely. But I definitely miss my old teammates. I miss them a lot. They were all great.”MinD_ContRoL Speaking to AFK Gaming
Little did MinD_ContRoL know, his stroll down memory lane would soon be eclipsed by a whirlwind of drama that made his team switcheroo seem like a walk in the park. If only team changes were as simple as he hoped! For those who want to dive into the full interview, the complete interview is just a click away.
Timado's Twist: From Solo Queue to OG's New Carry Crusade – A Dota 2 Cinderella Story
At DreamLeague Season 22, the Dota 2 drama isn't just limited to the epic clashes on screen—it's spilling over into the interviews too! After OG's latest smackdown at the event, Neal "Tsunami" Khandheria snagged a chat with Enzo "Timado" Gianoli, the freshest face in the OG lineup, to uncover the odyssey of how he ended up there.
Timado opened up about the unexpected shift in his career trajectory following his departure from Tundra. The intrigue deepened when he disclosed the reason behind his exit: "I was gonna be on the new roster of Tundra but at the last minute they kicked me for Pure," he revealed.
Valve
The narrative took a hopeful turn as Timado recounted his pathway to joining OG, a team that has carved its name into the annals of Dota 2 history with two The International victories. Left teamless and adrift in the sea of pub games, Timado's tale takes a turn from tragic to comic. As his luck turned around with a message from Ari, OG's position four maestro. "He was like 'We’re looking for carry options, you know? I suggested to the team that we should play with you.' And then I talked to Ceb and stuff, you know? And we got on the same page and then we started playing together. That was two weeks ago," revealed Timado.
With Timado now steering the ship as OG's carry, the team's been flexing their muscles harder than Tal "Fly" Aizik on Instagram, nabbing a win against G2.iG and ties against the likes of Team Falcons, Gaimin Gladiators, and Azure Ray.
As DreamLeague Season 22 unfolds, all eyes are on Timado and his melding with OG. Is this the dawn of OG's latest golden era, or just another plot twist in the endless saga of Dota 2? Time will tell, but if the early signs are anything to go by, Timado and OG might just be the dynamic duo Dota 2 didn't know it needed.
Ceb Roasts Team Falcons After a Ridiculous Win
DreamLeague Season 22 is turning out to be less of a Dota 2 tournament and more of a comedy club, thanks to the antics of OG’s Sébastien "Ceb" Debs. After a showdown with Team Falcons that ended in a draw, Ceb took the opportunity to turn the Dota 2 world into his personal stand-up stage.
The drama kicked off when Team Falcons, feeling pretty smug after their win in game one, decided to sprinkle a little extra salt on OG's wounds by tipping all their players. This virtual pat on the back, which in the Dota world is akin to a cheeky nudge in the ribs, seemed to light a fire under OG. They roared back in game two with a strategy that sounded like it was concocted during a late-night pub session: a Rubick offlane with a hasty Dagon 5 rush. Lo and behold, this wild gamble paid off, and OG managed to split the series.
Not one to let bygones be bygones, Ceb immediately took to Twitter to share a photo of himself laughing, likely with the kind of glee only a successful Offlane Rubick Dagon 5 rush can bring. The caption? “Imagine losing to pos3 rubick dagon5 rush & ruiner on pos 1.” This was Ceb in his element, tossing a digital pie in the face of Team Falcons while simultaneously hitting back at their earlier shade.
The prime instigator for this saga was a recent interview where Team Falcon's Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak had thrown some not-so-subtle shade at OG's latest roster addition, Timado, calling him a "ruiner" and a "child" in pubs. Ceb, seizing the moment, turned the tables with his tweet, making it clear that the only thing OG was ruining was Team Falcons' victory lap.
