Gaimin Gladiators Dota 2 midlaner Quinn “Quinn” Callahan discussed the team`s decline in performance following the departure of Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov. In an interview with BLAST.tv, he emphasized that the team is now facing the challenge of working diligently to recover their top form.
[Question: `How is the team adapting to changes?`] It`s a work in progress. We played like garbage for most of the year, and now we`re slowly getting stronger. Results are improving, the game feels easier, so we`re heading in the right direction, we just need to keep putting in the effort. Success in this game only comes through hard work, so we`ll continue to grind intensely until the end of the year.
According to Quinn, the Gladiators roster struggled to regain its footing after dyrachyo`s replacement, partly attributing the issue to a lack of dedication from the remaining players.
[Question: `Why was the team garbage early in the season?`] Some things make you better, but this was the opposite… We worked incredibly hard for a long time, then finished second at The International, players took breaks, we relaxed. The team underestimated how much replacing one person could affect things. On top of that, we reduced the amount of work we put into our game, and eventually, everything went very, very wrong. However, Watson is not at fault at all for the poor results and bad gameplay. It was us – the rest of the team – who didn`t play well enough and didn`t put in sufficient effort. That`s why we fell behind.
Callahan expressed confidence that Gladiators can return to competing for championships if every player commits to improving their individual game.
Everyone needs to remember even the small details and perform at their absolute best. When a team finds its rhythm, everything just starts working naturally. A roster becomes strong when all its members are working together seamlessly. It`s difficult to point to one specific magical fix that will make us better. In our situation, it requires everyone to work on themselves individually. Then everything will click instantly, and playing will become simpler.
In the six months since The International 2023 concluded, the Gladiators roster has undergone two changes. Initially, dyrachyo was replaced by Alimzhan “Watson” Islamabekov. Subsequently, in February, Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp departed, with his support role being filled by Arman “Malady” Orazbayev.
Finley Holt