Dendi confesses: “We were a team of introverts”

Natus Vincere’s solo-mid player Daniil “Dendi” Iishutin swings through a myriad of issues and ideas, in a recent interview for Storm Studio. Dendi opens up about the changes he would make to the game, what leadership in a Dota 2 team actually means, why he doesn’t like the Redemption Vote system, Na’Vi’s recent loss to HellRaisers, and how moral drops had turned Na’Vi into a team of introverts. The player also discusses his current teammates, ArtStyle and Sonneiko, and his previous ones, Goblak and DKPhobos.

Dendi about ArtStyle’s aggressive play style:

“I like it very much, I’m very satisfied with what’s going on. Like I’ve mentioned before, I don’t care much if we win or lose. I just receive satisfaction when I play. We’re currently imposing our game and pressing our rivals to adapt to us. I’ve always enjoyed it. I didn’t have this in a long time.”

Asked whether he feels that Goblak was not a good enough leader for the team, Dendi answers in a diplomat manner, stating that he feels calmer and more confortable now, with the new line-up: “Goblak is a great drafter and captain. (…) However, it’s easier for us with ArtStyle. It’s similar to combining dominoes. All characters should match”.

Dendi about Sonneiko:

“He is very calm and positive. I didn’t expect for a young player to have such deep understanding of the game. I often compare him to a diamond in the field.”

Dendi opens up about moral drops that affected Natus Vincere’s play before ArtStyle, Sooneiko and Funn1k joined the squad:

“When moral drops, when everyone feels negative emotions, people become chocked-up and silent, in order to avoid conflicts. It results in defeats. We’d been really silent before Sonneiko, Funn1k and ArtStyle joined the squad. We were a team of introverts.”

About people misunderstanding the captain’s role:

“Many people, mostly viewers, have a narrow understanding of what a leader, a captain is. They think the captain must tell all the players what to do. That’s wrong. Each player knows what he should do. If he doesn’t know, he doesn’t deserve to be on the team. Therefore, each player can take initiative and make propositions. In case of a dispute, the captain can use his power to choose only one strategy.”

About Na’Vi’s loss to HellRaisers, in the Red Bull Battle Grounds qualifiers:

“They picked accessible heroes. Anyone could play those heroes with their eyes shut, by punching the keyboard. Meanwhile, our strategy was complicated.”

Asked whether HR had a better pick than Natus Vincere, Dendi answered:

“No. That’s an excuse for the weak. I think a team can win with any pick. ArtStyle thinks so too. There are simpler picks and more sophisticated ones.”

Dendi about the Redemption Vote:

“Frankly, I don’t like the voting system. Our organization’s campaign was great. We’ll hopefully catch up with the level of our organization. Most people don’t even understand what the Redemption Vote is. Everyone has the right to vote for the team he likes. If people were to vote for the worthiest team, we wouldn’t have even been shortlisted. This was not a vote for the strongest team, it was a vote for the most popular one.”

Dendi talks about the changes he would make to the current meta:

“I don’t like many things (editor’s note: about the current meta). I don’t want to complain. Many people would say that I keep complaining about it all the time, instead of adapting to it. Briefly, I would introduce changes that make the victory depend more on your personal skill, rather than on other things. I don’t like it now, since weaker teams can win. A guy bangs his head on the keyboard and wins. Meanwhile, other players do their best, press all the right keys and still loose. It’s unfair.”

Dendi about DKPhobos:

“In DKPhobos’ opinion, XBOCT underperforms. In my opinion, XBOCT is the best player among carries. Each person has his own vision of the game. DKPhobos is a very nice person. He had to choose between two teams. He hesitated, then he made his decision. He feels better with Virtus.Pro. I support him as a friend.”

Watch the interview conducted by Storm Studio in full, with English subtitles: