Kuku: "We don't want to play the classic YOLO-esque SEA Dota. We want to be like the water"
Talon Esports has been making strides into the Southeast Asian (SEA) Dota 2 scene, trying to establish its foothold in the region again. They surprised Team Liquid in the last tournament they played, eliminating the TI2024 champions in a surprise turn of events, but fell to Team Spirit soon after.
Talon’s charismatic captain Kuku sat down for an interview, talking about the team’s chances at BLAST Slam II, the team’s strength and weakness, SEA’s lack of own strategies and more.
Kuku on Talon Esports, SEA Dota, BLAST Slam II
You achieved significant success with T1, but since then you've faced challenges over the past two to three years. How do you reflect on this period of your career?
That time was difficult for me. I had trouble finding a team, so I shifted my focus to streaming, even though I was still playing Dota. After T1 disbanded, I decided I didn't want to captain anymore and joined Blacklist International but it did not end well after a string of poor performances especially at TI 2024 qualifiers and Riyadh Master 2024.
How did you end up joining Talon Esports?
They were looking to replace their pos5 player and contacted me. I agreed to stand in for some tournaments, and we qualified. Later, I also enjoyed playing with them in a LAN setting, and got offered a contract soon after.
How has the transition been from playing offline to playing support?
Because I've often switched roles, I need at least two months to get into shape in a new one. For example, I've transitioned from mid to offlane in the past. So, role changes aren't a big problem for me but just that it takes time.
What kind of Dota does Talon intend to play or improve on?
I just want Talon to become more stable in the mid to late game so we can close out the game. We don't want to play the classic YOLO-esque SEA Dota. We want to be like the water – go with the flow and just be stable.
What is Talon’s biggest weakness?
Our nerves are our biggest weakness. It doesn’t allow us to play our normal game.
Similarly, what is Talon’s biggest strength?
I think our greatest strength as a team is the trust we have in each other. We're confident in our ability to deliver high-level Dota and do good for the Southeast Asian (SEA) region.
Explain in brief the series against Team Liquid and Team Spirit in the Fissure Playground #1 playoffs.
We made a comeback in game two. I think we're leading a little so after game two, we said that we can beat this team then it's like we just trusted each other again and ended up defeating Team Liquid.
We lost to Team Spirit because, as I said earlier, they were more stable in the mid to late game compared to us. We had a lead but couldn’t capitalize on it and thus ended up losing. But we can learn from that and improve for other tournaments.
What is the biggest difference between Southeast Asian and European Dota 2 teams?
The biggest difference lies in strategy. Every team or region has its own identity when it comes to Dota 2 but SEA often ends up replicating those strategies. The failure to create our own strategy plays a pivotal role in shaping up the region as a whole.
What are your views on the trifecta – Talon, Aurora and Boom – vying for dominance in SEA?
Right now, I'd say we're the more stable team compared to them. However, it won't be easy because teams can improve rapidly and the situation may change at any point. It's a toss-up; we can beat them, and they can beat us but I can't say we'll always win.
What are your expectations heading into BLAST Slam II?
Achieving at least top 4 is something we are aiming for but ultimately it depends on how we play and execute our strategies.
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