The ESL Berlin Major has been one of the most anticipated Dota 2 events of the year, and for good reason. Second day of the play-off saw OG lose in competition against EG, and nine Pandas missteped with Gaimin Gladiators; then, South America was the only one with the most hope, losing to Team Liquid.
Boxi from Team Liquid, a Dota 2 veteran with several years of experience under his belt. The Berlin Major isn’t his first rodeo!
We could sit together before his game on the second day of the ESL Berlin Major and take on the city, the major and all things 7.33b.
@TeamLiquid | Twitter.
How have you been doing to Berlin?
Boxi: Berlin was nice. I haven’t been outside much, mostly at the hotel or the venue, but I’m not in the mood to walk around the park, but next to the Brandenburg Gate is this really big park. I walk around, I am only 20 times. When I got some sunlight, I was in the park and the hotel 99 percent of my visit.
How has your experience of the Major in Berlin, in which time?
Boxi: The experience in Lima seemed to be somewhat different than the other Majors. I think when the tournament organisers planned the Major, there were some hiccups, but lots of passionate people involved, people who wanted to help and other things like that. ESL handles everything a bit more closely. Other than travel and food, there’s less a problem in terms of time. I know people in Peru complained about the event. We haven’t had a lot of people here in the first couple of days unfortunately, but crowds were very loud and even a lot more. In Berlin, there are many people, but they make some more noise.
Peru was really great, and it’s lovely to go to a new place. I’ve never been to South America before. The food and the fruit is so sweet. But I had never visited Berlin yet, so it is fun to go to a new place and compete in the tournament. I mean you are very cool. You’re exhibiting on the LAN and there’re many passionate fans!
There are lots of Liquid fans in the space. #LetsGoLiquidLets, #LiquidLets You Buy?
Your trip to Berlin was a little different than Lima’s. What kind of thing does it mean to go through the lower bracket instead of sliding through the upper bracket?
I think sometimes you should forget to learn more about what works and what doesn’t work, and now I look forward to seeing that we have figured out a bit more so far in the higher-skilled run than the group stage. In Peru, I think it was a bit more stale as the patch, so the figure was not as important as it was. In the tournaments that were held earlier, it was about taking care of what you know.
We didn’t have much notice when the patch was reopened. How did you have that change your approach in a major?
Boxi: I think you have to be very open and perhaps abandon what isn’t working so good. You must adapt ideas that are good or work for other teams. In a so new patch, you’ll never figure it out before you even start to look at it, as I said in a piece older version of the game that you don’t want to use any other team as much as a game. It must work for you and find your own strategy. It’s more like a person who’s a person, a person, a person or a woman who’s a woman, but some have an awful life. You kind of have to accept that youre right or accept that youre wrong.
Youre going to face EG or OG later tonight. Should you pick one, who would you choose?
Perhaps we played in the European DPC and then we played against them a lot. They have two stand-ins, but the team is always amazed. If we don’t know, I was a bit shocked they lost their first match against EG. But then they won the second. It was a crazy draft in the first half of the game. I find it better to play against something that is less wild. I want to play against the OG but I wouldn’t say that one team has a preference or that one team is better than the other, it’s about the familiarity with you.
Following our interview with Boxi, Team Liquid continued to play Evil Geniuses in the lower-class semi-finals. They beat the nets with a quick and decisive 2-0. Boxi, as well as the two games of the league, made an impressive performance.
Now, Liquid looks right into the finals with 9 Pandas in the lower bracket. A repeat of the Lima Major grand finals and Liquid full team will play the GG next month. There’s still a long day left for Dota 2 to play at the ESL Berlin Major!
