G2.iG is one of the three Chinese teams competing at The International 2024 (TI13). The team was plagued with inconsistent performances and had difficulty in establishing its identity. However, they pushed through, qualified for TI13 through the Chinese regional qualifiers and punched their tickets to Copenhagen, Denmark for the crown jewel Dota 2 event.
BLAST got hold of Yap "xNova" Jian Wei, G2.iG charismatic support player, just ahead of The International 2024 for an exclusive interview where he discusses a myriad of topics like the team’s inconsistency, adapting to the meta (Dota 2 patch 7.37c), the strongest teams at TI and more.
What are your thoughts on G2.iG’s inconsistent performances during the year?
First of all, Dota is a very complicated game, it requires a lot of time to analyse and think about what type of play style fits and favours your team. Dota changes so spontaneously, that by the time you have adapted, a new patch comes in and you need to start anew again. The spontaneously changing meta might be the reason we have been inconsistent.
Is the team having difficulty identifying its playstyle or is it lagging to adapt to the meta compared to other teams?
I wouldn’t say we’re lagging in adapting. I think that Dota doesn’t just require skills but also creativity. Patches are just notes for you to refer to but being creative helps you create an image of the meta for your team, so I think that’s what we lack.
What are your thoughts on Team Zero’s run through the TI13 China qualifiers?
Throughout the year Team Zero always upsets some of the favourites in most of the qualifiers and that is not a surprise. They are a team that you need to respect.
What I like about them is they always stick to their own ideas and play style. We struggled with our drafts and overall performance against Team Zero. The series didn't go as planned, but we've taken away important lessons from that series.
Where does China currently stand as compared to Europe at TI13?
Xtreme Gaming is definitely on par with or maybe even better than some of the European Dota 2 teams. From my experience, it just depends on how the competition goes because momentum plays a big part in the team's performance.
How is the new patch helping G2.iG adapt to the meta and prepare for TI?
We are pretty confident playing for this TI since the recent patch did not have many big changes.
How do you perceive G2.iG’s chances at TI13?
We’re pretty ready, JT will bring us some crazy plays for sure. Hopefully, no one is sick this time.
Which teams are the strongest heading into TI13?
There are too many of them, Team Falcons, Xtreme Gaming, Team Spirit, Gaimin Gladiators, Tundra Esports, BetBoom and Cloud9 (since we just lost 5v4 to them). Ah, I don’t know, all the teams are pretty strong and this probably might be the most even TI.
The International 2024 (TI13) begins on September 04, 2024. Stay tuned to BLAST for exclusive interviews, features and news about TI13.
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