During the opening day of Road to The International 2023, Team Liquid’s iNSaNiA attempted to provoke Arteezy in a Dota 2 match. This incident occurred during the second game of the series between Liquid and Shopify Rebellion. iNSaNiA used a voice line from Arteezy’s girlfriend, Dove, which led Arteezy to immediately mute him.
The timing of this provocation couldn’t have been worse for Liquid, as they had already won the first match against SR. Dove’s voice line, which translates to “Who isn’t a baby?”, seemed to fuel SR’s determination for revenge. They secured the game’s first blood by eliminating zai’s Razor.
Despite a closely contested laning stage, Liquid gradually gained the upper hand and dominated SR in a 46-minute match. SR’s cores, Faceless Void and Invoker, attempted to turn teamfights in their favor, but Liquid’s Spirit Breaker, Chaos Knight, and Kunkka combo proved too powerful to handle.
It’s important to note that iNSaNiA and Arteezy are close friends, often playing ranked matches together and achieving great results. While iNSaNiA may have received a permanent mute for the duration of TI 2023, his use of psychological strategies is reminiscent of OG’s approach. OG, a two-time TI-winning team, employed trolling tactics during TI9, using customized chat wheels and map sprays to provoke their opponents. This technique proved effective and was even featured in True Sight.
Author: Unknown
Source: DOTESPORTS
