GpK~ explained why he continues to play Slardar in the mid

BetBoom Team mid-man Danil gpK~ Skutin spoke out after the victory over Nigma Galaxy in the playoffs of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Dota 2. In an interview on the official broadcast of the tournament, he spoke about the choice of Lina and Slardar for mid, as well as his opponent in the semifinals.

[Question: “Congratulations, great episode. Great feeling, right?”] Everything’s great, I feel good. The Falcons are eliminated, so hopefully we'll do well in the bracket. [Question: “Lina appeared in the first episode today, and then in yours. Did you decide to repeat for Vici Gaming, or was that your plan?”] We didn’t copy. In principle, I started playing Lina a very long time ago, I felt that there was great power in this hero. But I play with a different build. It seems to me that in some ways this is even stronger in competitive Dota. But this is my personal opinion. [Question: "Would you recommend people try using Slardar? I haven't seen anyone play this hero like you."] Personally, I hate this hero, but it suits our team, we can win with it, so why not. [Question: “Can Vici Gaming compete with you?”] We will simply destroy them.

BetBoom Team defeated Nigma Galaxy in the first round of the EWC 2026 playoffs with a score of 2:0. In the next round, the gpK~ team will fight with Vici Gaming, the strongest of the pair will advance to the finals of the competition. The match is scheduled for July 18, 14:00 Moscow time.