gpk: “We'll see how it goes. I believe that Dota 2 will definitely live for another four years."

BetBoom Team mid-man Danil 'gpk' Skutin, in an interview for the portal, named the favorites of the Esports World Cup 2026, spoke about the differences between Ilya 'Kiritych' Ulyanov and Ivan 'Pure' Moskalenko, and also discussed the prospects of Dota 2.

[Published with the original spelling and punctuation preserved]

[ Who do you think is the main EWC favorite? ] I think either Team Yandex or PARIVISION. These are the two teams. Well, we are in the top 3.

[You are spending this season 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 [Pure] is a more explosive player: he can play poorly, or he can win a 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.

[A couple of months ago boo1k came back to you again. 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 do you think a coach can influence the 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.

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.

[ BLAST recently 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, in your opinion, is currently 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.

Earlier, Danil "gpk" Skutin spoke about the victory over GamerLegion, and also summed up the results of the group stage of the Esports World Cup 2026.