“Dota 2 will definitely live for another four years” - interview with gpk~ about the future of the discipline, working as a coach and streaming

During the break between the matches of the Esports World Cup 2026, we talked with Danil gpK~ Skutin about the state of the professional Dota 2 scene, young talent, changes in the team and streaming. In addition, the BetBoom Team mid-man shared his opinion on the future of the discipline and told what attracted him to coaching.

How do you like the arena, have you managed to get used to it?

In principle, I like everything. It’s cool here that there are many disciplines, and the arena itself is very large: every day you walk and it’s like you’re seeing something new.

What was your most memorable moment on set?

Probably an area where there is a lot of things: massage, gaming curling irons. And, probably, a place where lunch and dinner take place.

Have you been massaged?

Two days in a row.

Are you planning to take a little walk after the matches? Are there places you want to visit?

We wanted to go for a walk on our day off. When we reach the playoffs, it looks like there will be weekends - on those days we wanted to go for a walk. And so my team and I watch the World Cup in the evenings.

Who are you rooting for?

For France.

Who do you consider to be the main favorite of the EWC?

I think either Team Yandex or PARIVISION. These are the two teams. Well, we are in the top 3.

Is there a team you especially want to play against?

Probably the two that I highlighted. And I would also like to play against LGD - they knocked us out at the last tournament, I would like to get revenge.

How do these tournaments generally differ in atmosphere from other LANs?

Probably because there is no lower bracket here, and this adds its charm to the tournament. The practice rooms are also located separately from the hotel, so you just come to the site. We also play first - at 11 am. We don’t even play public games before matches: we come, play official games and stay there for the whole day.

I heard a lot of dissatisfaction from players about practice sessions.

Only Vitaly [Save-] doesn’t like it, but we, in principle, are all comfortable.

This season you are spending with Kiritych~. What changed in your game after this change?

There are probably fewer conflicts and conflicts of opinions. We are trying to just build our game and work on it. Of course, there are ups and downs, but this is always with us.

If you compare Pure~ and Kiritych~, what is the main difference between them as players?

I think Ilyukha [Kiritych~] is trying to play more consistently. And Vanyok is a more explosive player: he can play poorly, or he can win the game one in nine. And Vanyok is probably one of the most aggressive players I’ve played with.

Did you have to change your play style to suit the new carry?

Personally, no. Basically, I can play in different ways. It depends on the meta and drafts.

Are you on your own?

Yes.

A couple of months ago, Boolk came back to you. Why did you decide to work with him again?

It was a joint decision between management and players. Some were for it, some were against it, but they decided to try it this way. There was another option to leave rmN- as the second coach, but it was rejected.

In general, how much influence do you think a coach can have on a team’s results?

I think it can influence, but the result is still largely in the hands of the players. The coach can set the right direction for the team.

You and Save- have already played more than two thousand official games together. What is the secret of your synergy?

We probably just feel each other well, we understand what we want to do. Of course, sometimes there are disagreements, but when we enter an official match, we both know what needs to be done to win, and we do everything possible.

If you imagine that tomorrow you will be divided into different teams, what will you miss most?

I think our ruffles, friendly jokes when we play matchmaking. This will definitely be missed.

BetBoom Team recently signed Dora as their “Vibe Director.” What was your first reaction when you found out about this?

Cool. She recorded bundles for us. There's something to it.

Who is her biggest fan on the team?

Previously, Yegor [Nightfall] was definitely the main fan. Now it’s even hard to say.

Name three artists you listen to most often lately.

Madk1d, Heronwater, auratoshi - cool dude, he has his own vibe.

This year, a new mid-laner appeared on the tier-1 scene - TaiLung. What do you think of his performance?

TaiLung plays very well, I like it. I was watching him. He has heroes that he plays super well. Well, in principle, if you follow the team this season, you can see that some new heroes are appearing, and he also plays well on them. Strong player.

Are there any other upcoming players you're interested in following?

Probably also ssnovv1. He plays carry in the CIS region. He really improved a lot, and it’s interesting to watch his development.

How difficult is it for the younger generation to break into the scene when there are already so many experienced players?

In fact, it seems to me that it is very difficult. There were the guys from Yellow Submarine, now some other lineups are appearing, but it seems like it’s hard for them to show anything at LAN tournaments.

Maybe because they don't have experienced players in other positions. Perhaps this is the problem. Or, on the contrary, they need to be taken into strong teams.

Spirit tried to integrate Batyuk. It didn't work out very well.

Spirit Satanic took it - he immediately burst in.

Alan is simply amazing!

Yes.

If you had to list the top mid laners now, where would you place yourself?

Maybe somewhere in the top 6. This is my personal opinion. It seems to me that each of the top mids has its own pros and cons. I can’t directly single out just one.

You're super humble. Is there a mid player that you still find particularly interesting to play against?

It's not particularly interesting, but it's always interesting to play against all the strong players. But I can still highlight one - Malr1ne. There is something in our games against each other. Well, in general, it’s always interesting to play against PARIVISION.

Have you followed the qualifications for The International?

Yes, I did.

Which team's result surprised you the most?

NAVI was surprised that they lost. And Yellow Submarine was also surprising - it seems to me that they were supposed to pass. We lost the last match in mediocre fashion, although we could have also qualified.

Well, the guys who ultimately passed... I forgot the name of the team.

HULIGANI?

Yes, yes, yes.

Do you think combining European qualifications was a good decision?

Yes, exactly. Because if there were two slots, Spirit and PARIVISION, most likely they would have easily passed everyone, there would not have been much point in qualifying. And it’s so cool that two more new teams are coming out.

Recently, BLAST has reduced the prize pool of its tournaments, and in general, prize money in Dota is becoming smaller. Many say that the professional scene is gradually dying. Do you share these concerns?

I don't think he's dying. There will still be tournaments next season. But it is true that budgets are falling. Starting next year there will be less money. Let's see how it goes. I believe that Dota 2 will definitely live for another four years.

What now, in your opinion, is most hindering the development of professional Dota?

Perhaps what is missing is “Inta” and “Riyadh”, around which there was always a big stir because of the prize money.

Previously, there were teams that accelerated during the season, tried to play consistently and prepared specifically for the main tournaments. Now it’s as if tournaments are just going on. One team was better prepared and won. The other one was worse prepared and lost.

There is no team that always beats everyone.

Are there things Valve could do to change this?

Perhaps return the compendium for Inta. Maybe this will have some effect.

Why do you think they don't return it?

Maybe they don’t want to pay too much money to the dota players. Or add more LAN tournaments, like in CS - that would be very cool. When the arena is big and there are a lot of spectators, such tournaments are always interesting to watch.

Even the last LAN was simply amazing. Falcons, Vitality, Spirit - generally a super cool tournament. And the arena is ten out of ten.

Do you watch CS often?

It seems to me that I watch all the tournaments.

Do you have any favorite CS2 players?

I actually wanted the Falcons to win. I always look and think: we should already win.

Ilyukha [m0NESY] has already taken his.

Yes. Well, Maxim [kyousuke] played brilliantly.

In 2024, you went into inactivity to recover a little. Now the teams' schedule is very tight. Is it really possible to relax?

To be honest, it's hard to rest. Even I myself feel that now, if I compare myself with how I was a year and a half ago when I returned, it is in terms of the game that I am already less comfortable. Then I immediately felt that everything was going well. Now this feeling has disappeared a little.

What do you usually do outside of Dota?

We just spend time with the girl, play together, walk the dog. Basic rest. We recently went to Turkey, to the sea.

After this tournament there will be a short pause until Int. Are you planning to use it for yourself or will you start preparing right away?

My team and I decided that we would rest before the EWC. Consider there are two tournaments left until the end of the season. You need to get involved, give yourself completely to Dota and see where it leads. We will try.

You recently said that you quit Dota for PUBG. If things had turned out differently then, what do you think your life would be like today?

Now I'm looking at PUBG, and I don't really like it anymore. It seems to me that I would still return to Dota 2. Well, or play CS.

In general, initially, when I had about 4,500 MMR, I thought: either go to CS or play Dota professionally. I decided that it would be easier to break into Dota, and started investing in it.

Ever imagined yourself outside of esports?

If I retired tomorrow, I think I would definitely start streaming. I would probably watch tournaments and be an analyst. Or, in the end, he would become a coach of some team.

Even if it's Tier 2. In fact, there is something in this: you pass on your knowledge to the guys, you look from the outside. Still, it seems to me that it takes less energy than when you play yourself. It's fun to promote your ideas, watch them play and give some advice.

Which team could you fly to as a coach?

The second BetBoom Team would coach.

Well, like Miposhka.

Yes.

By the way, you once said that if you left the professional stage, you could start streaming, but I quote: “I wouldn’t want to become a clown.” What does “good streamer” even mean to you?

Good streamer... Obviously, when RAMZES666 streams, I watch it. Well, I guess I like the way TORONTOTOKYO rocks and goes on vacation. I would probably do exactly the same thing that he does.

Sanyok is still sweating now.

I saw it, yes. He's doing pretty well.

You often experiment with hair color. Already have ideas for your next look?

Not yet. But maybe something will change.

Traditional question: top 3 anime.

I haven't been watching anime at all lately. Just now I started watching the fourth season of “Class of Excellence,” which came out not so long ago. In the top 3, probably, let there be “Kuroko’s Basketball” and “Blue Lock”. And I’ll put on an anime that really resonated with me when I was about 13 - “Your Lie in April.”

What advice can you give to guys who want to get into the shooting range-1 scene?

Just try to play the lane stage consistently, and sooner or later you will be noticed.

What today distinguishes a truly promising player from just a very strong puber?

They show something new. The last six months have been such a strange meta that you could simply abuse the rating. But I think it’s still up to the pool of heroes to have at least six of them. There is such a player - mangekyou. In fact, every person in the top 100 knows that he simply abuses MMR on imbecile and swaps lines.

I despise him in MM because he always picks a line against me.

By the way, he was recently banned from DreamLeague.

Have you been to the bathhouse? We are waiting for you.

If we imagine that gpk~'s career will be remembered in ten years, what kind of player would you like to remain in people's memory?

Probably just a strong player in terms of microskill. When I had about 7 thousand MMR, this is exactly what I was fixated on - so that my micro would be at a very high level. I emphasized this very much. Nowadays, it seems to me that almost no one does this anymore.