Interview with Shopify Rebellion's Fly: "We know the team has what it takes to win"

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, and congratulations on getting engaged!

Im guessing youre on cloud nine!

Yes I am extremely happy!

How was that facilitated?

Did Shopify Rebellion reach out to you?

Good to see a new organization show up in North American Dota 2.

And in the meantime, you have started your own podcast Fly and the Other Guy!

What inspired you to start your own podcast?

Ive been getting into podcasting for a year or so.

Having listened to a few episodes, I can definitely say that it is an enjoyable podcast.

Tell me a bit more about the Other Guy.

Was he into Dota 2 before becoming friends with you?

Justin is an eye doctor!

He is a family man and a pretty busy guy.

He started watching Dota 2 during TI5 or TI6, when they first put the game on ESPN.

He doesnt really play the game, just mostly enjoys watching it.

Currently, you guys are doing a new episode every week.

Do you plan to keep that up when the DPC season begins?

But we want to keep it as consistent as possible.

While were on the subject of podcasts, what non-Dota 2 podcasts do you like to listen to?

Its information that is easy to digest [just like the diets of the past].

I guess Ill have to check that one out!

Lets go back a few months.

Evil Geniuses didnt go in as favorites to TI11, but you guys were amazing in the group stages.

What changed from the group stages to the main stage?

Were there any other reasons for the lackluster performance on stage?

To put it bluntly, we choked.

We didnt play nearly as well as we did in the group stages.

Before that, we hadnt played in front of a crowd for a long time.

After TI11, what was the conversation that happened?

Both, with Evil Geniuses, and amongst yourselves.

Lets break that down.

It is a difficult conversation to have.

We were in Singapore for a week after getting eliminated.

Now lets come to Evil Geniuses, the organization.

The Evil Geniuses Dota 2 roster had a bad 2021-2022 season overall.

I was only part of the team for the last DPC season.

Before that, EG got knocked out of the Stockholm Major in the group stages.

We didnt get too far in the Arlington Major either.

Based on the results, Im not too surprised the organization wanted to head in a different direction.

However, I must add that both sides reached the same conclusions [the organization and the roster].

So it was a good thing to go our separate ways after TI11.

All this, of course, happened after we got eliminated from TI11.

After you went back to EG, was that misunderstanding resolved?

I want to learn from my mistakes, and I dont believe in holding any grudges.

Glad to hear you were able to sort it out!

Now you have a new offlaner to enter the fray with you in the form of Jonas Saberlight Volek.

How was the decision to get him board reached?

Unfortunately, his name has nothing to do with Light Saber.

I was hopeful it would be!

He mentioned it is based on a streamer he used to watch who had a similar name.

I also has a preference for a player from a similar culture; a Western player.

Thankfully, Shopify Rebellion were able to help out with that.

It sure looks like a formidable roster which can take North America by storm.

But the region had the worst showing at TI11.

Now, there is no more Quincy Crew either.

Has the region suffered a massive setback?

What do you think NA needs to do to get back to its glory days?

I dont think the North American Dota 2 scene is going to see an influx of local young blood.

The best thing we can have in NA is organizations that can provide accommodating situations for teams.

I genuinely think that is the main factor.

And now we have Shopify Rebellion supporting us as well.

Even though they didnt too well at TI11, TSM did reach the grand finals of the Stockholm Major.

That is exactly the issue, and a lot of what is happening is because of that.

But there are organizations that are willing to give the region a try.

Hopefully, other organizations can take some inspiration from that.

Why do you think Europe has becomes so dominant in the past few years?

I think the answer to that is quite straightforward.

Coming to the meta, how do you like patch 7.32d?

I am waiting for something new.

We have been playing the same Dota 2 for a long time, where the puzzle has been solved.

What kind of challenges would you like to see?

If IceFrog was listening, whats the craziest Fly idea for Dota 2?

The first one is just a change in the map; I want new ward spots.

Possibly a change in Roshans Pit.

It would also be nice to see something new in the way lanes work by changing tower locations.

If you were given the power, where would you relocate Roshan?

Id probably put him on the other side of the river, where he previously was.

That would be fun to see.

It has been a while since the Rosh pit was moved.

How does the position 5 role feel right now?

Do you ever feel like switching roles?

What do you like doing in your free time?

You know, when you arent working out!

I dont do anything too special.

I like watching movies and TV shows and spending time with my fiance and friends.

Shoutout to Shopify Rebellion for believing in the roster.

I am looking forward to what we will be able to accomplish together.