The victors of Dota 2’s The International 10, Team Spirit, have recently achieved remarkable success at the Riyadh Masters 2023 and the subsequent DreamLeague Season 21. According to Myroslav “Mira” Kolpakov, Team Spirit’s position four player, the team intends to maintain their impressive winning streak during TI12, aiming to match the legendary accomplishments of OG.
Mira recently joined the podcast of renowned Ukrainian caster Aleksey “Storm” Tumanov to discuss Team Spirit’s current performance and their strategy for TI12. Mira expressed his aspiration for Team Spirit to rival OG’s iconic status, particularly after OG’s consecutive victories in TI8 and TI9, by surpassing them in terms of achievements.
Mira conveyed that Team Spirit isn’t overly concerned about this year’s prize pool since they have already secured a significant portion of it. Their motivation lies in achieving milestones and reclaiming the title of the world’s best.
However, Mira acknowledges that reaching this level will be a formidable challenge, given the presence of numerous talented teams standing in their path. He singled out Gaimin Gladiators as a significant obstacle, the team that dominated most of the DPC events in 2023.
Despite Gaimin’s impressive tournament wins, Mira finds it perplexing that they would subject themselves to additional pressure by participating in events like the BetBoom DACHA 2023 so close to TI. He suggests that they should take a more measured approach, savor their successes, and enter TI12 mentally rejuvenated and well-prepared for the major tournament.
Mira also noted that the pressure appears to be taking a toll, particularly on Gaimin’s star midlaner, Quinn Callahan, whom he claimed was once a formidable opponent but has become more vulnerable due to his ego in their recent pub games. Nevertheless, Mira acknowledges that Gaimin Gladiators will still be their toughest competition at TI12.
With The International 12 scheduled from October 12 to October 29, this year’s tournament promises to be thrilling. Whether a returning champion or a new underdog will claim the Aegis remains uncertain, and we’ll continue to bring you the latest updates related to TI.