Blitz on making it to the TI15 playoffs: “It feels a lot like when we won TI”

Team Liquid coach William 'Blitz' Lee, in an interview at The International 2026, spoke about his feelings after making it to the playoffs, and also shared his opinion about the meta in the group stage of the tournament.

This is simply incredible. It feels a lot like when we won TI. That is, just a huge relief, a sea of ​​emotions. After seeing so many teams here, I'm starting to realize that I can't take this for granted. It's just always very difficult to even get to this stage.

I think I really realized that in this discipline, people tend to take success for granted. I see all these talented players around me and I just think: “Of course we will, we deserve to be a top team.” And you very quickly develop this mentality that you deserve your place, that everyone should just let you pass first, but ultimately that's never true.

There's always going to be a team that wants to win more than you do, that wants it more than you do, and you have to respect that, and you have to learn to earn your place again, because one of the main things that happens with winning teams at TI is narcissism, that feeling of "Of course we're better than you," but that only lasts a week and then suddenly you get to the next tournament and you're nothing again.

It's hard to say, because some heroes, in my opinion, are clearly unbalanced - for example, Lina. Now heroes like Nature's Prophet and the like are gaining popularity. I feel like this TI has a special flavor because every offlaner has their own quirks in what they like. The meta of this TI really encourages creativity.

I think this is one of the main reasons why teams like Nigma Galaxy and LGD Gaming, who did not look very good on the first day, are going to success. They are willing to be creative and willing to do some unusual things to try and do something that will give them an extra edge.

Earlier, Samuel 'Boxi' Swan spoke about how the results of the club standings influenced the team's mood, about the team's problems during the season, and also about how adaptation to the tournament meta usually goes.