We spoke with Evgenia “sony9sha” Elizarova, partner of Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov. She shared insights into building a relationship with an esports professional, her own aspirations in the industry, and her thoughts on dyrachyo`s recent break from competitive play (spoiler: she playfully vowed to help bring him back). Read on for the full interview.
— I want to start with something I discussed with Anton. He`s been out of the professional scene for almost a month now. How has this time been for you?
Well, if talking about our relationship, everything is calm and stable. We`ve had more opportunities to spend time together, and friends even came to visit, which was fun.
— By the way, do you notice how different he is during these periods? Is there a difference between Anton during a tense season and now?
Honestly, I wouldn`t say he`s very different; he`s quite consistent. Even when he`s been abroad, away from me, he always makes a big effort to call and message, ensuring I don`t feel lonely.
— Was it difficult being in a relationship with an esports pro given his non-stop season with hardly any breaks between tournaments?
Mutual understanding is key; I always understood his career and passion. I wouldn`t say it was difficult because I often traveled with him to support him at tournaments. Surprisingly, it was harder *after* a break, when we`d been together constantly for a while, and then he went back to playing.
— And how much do you immerse yourself in his career when he`s in season? Do you manage to watch all his matches? How often do you travel to tournaments with him?
I travel with him when I can, depending on my studies. I`ve traveled quite often. To be honest, I don`t follow Dota extensively; I only watched his team`s matches when they were playing.
— Speaking of your studies: do you have classmates who ask for a photo with Anton or perhaps a game together, something like that? How well do they know Anton?
(Laughs) Well, I don`t really socialize much with my classmates. Once, when Anton came to pick me up from university and was waiting in the lobby, some guy just walked up and asked for a photo. But my groupmates generally don`t know him.
— You`re finishing your studies soon, right?
Yes.
— And you mentioned in a previous interview that you`re studying journalism.
Yes.
— But you don`t plan to work in that field?
For now, yes. I see myself more in content creation. I`d like to try streaming, possibly doing things together with Anton. Once I graduate, I`ll have a lot of free time, and we plan to travel, which could make for some really cool content.
— How did you choose your major? Why journalism?
Actually, all my life I dreamed of becoming a surgeon. Then the coronavirus pandemic started, and I really wanted to move to Moscow. I applied to three universities but was accepted by two good ones. Ultimately, I decided to study journalism because I was inspired by Marple when she worked at Virtus.pro, and I wanted to try something similar.
— Have you tried interviewing Anton?
(Laughs) No, I`ve never tried.
— There`s an interesting phenomenon where partners of esports players – and this applies to traditional sports too – always attract fan attention. And fans often blame them if a player has performance issues. How unexpected was this whole situation for you when, say, fans started linking Anton`s decisions to you?
Honestly, I`m completely used to it now. It doesn`t affect me at all; if anything, we find it a bit funny and amusing. I don`t know, on Cybersport.ru specifically, they always write such negative, nasty comments about me. On other platforms, it`s not nearly as severe.
— Well, on other platforms, people generally write less about it.
Yeah, generally, yes (laughs).
— But was it difficult at first? How unexpected was it that people would react like that?
Well, I started dating him when Anton was still playing for Team Spirit, back when I was in school… I don`t really remember how it felt, so it wasn`t that unexpected for me. Maybe Anton explained something like, “they`ll blame both me and you.” You just can`t please everyone.
— So, now you take it easier.
Yes. I just find this question funny now.
— By the way, in your previous interview, you said you were hoping and waiting for Anton to return. Why is that? Wouldn`t it be easier and better without the constant tournaments and travel?
Because he`s still young and talented. Why should he just sit at home? He can stream anytime. Playing competitively is better for him right now. Plus, I`ll be done with studying and can travel with him after tournaments. It feels like he should definitely come back. He`ll rest now, and then, of course, he`ll return with renewed strength. Although he says he won`t… but he will. I`ll have to make him return.
— How did you react to his decision to take a break? How unexpected was it? Or did you get a sense from his vibe that he was close to it?
Well, I understood from the beginning, when he was on his break previously – he mentioned right away that he would play through the season and then take another rest. So, the decision was completely clear to me from the start.
— What are your current plans and ideas for what you`ll do, how you`ll develop? Will it be joint content with Anton, or are you focusing more on yourself? What direction do you want to develop in?
First, I want to start streaming. I`ve only launched about ten streams in total so far. Initially, I want to stream with Anton to build some kind of audience, and then move on to doing things more on my own. But it`s clear we`ll both be present in each other`s content since we live and do everything together.
— And what kind of content, say, is closer to you? Is it more gaming or IRL?
I`ll likely gravitate towards IRL streams; I find that more interesting.
— What kind of content do you generally like? What do you want to create yourself?
You mean IRL?
— Yes, yes.
Just some conversational streams, you know, maybe cosplay like other girls do – that turns out really cool. Then, say, traveling somewhere and streaming a few times with friends. Things like that.
— By the way, does your education generally help you in creating content? How has choosing journalism influenced what you`re doing now?
Mainly, I became more relaxed and learned to think and speak properly.
— By the way, why not Dota 2? You have a pretty high MMR, and you`ve been playing Dota for a long time, right?
Yes, but I don`t know, I`m not interested in playing it anymore. Anton and I are playing Counter-Strike now, and it makes me so angry.
— Why?
It`s difficult because I`ve never played shooters before; it`s completely new to me. On one hand, it`s fun, but on the other, it`s incredibly tilting. It doesn`t always work out. For example, we took a six-day break, and I played yesterday and just… I lost it. The camera movement felt weird, nothing felt right.
— I see. What are your favorite games, by the way?
Honestly, I`m not a big fan of sitting at the computer and playing games. Anton plays more. I`ve never played story-driven games. He recently asked me, `Don`t you want to play a game like Resident Evil?` I said, `Well, I started it, but I just couldn`t get into it.`
— If you think about the future, in five years do you see yourself primarily as a streamer, content creator, or would you lean more towards family and something else by then?
I would lean more towards family, probably. In five years, how old will I be? 26-27? Yes, most likely I won`t be as focused on streams then.
— Do you want a big family?
Yes, I`d like a big family.
— What about marriage?
Marriage? I don`t know. As soon as it happens.
Finley Holt