After attending every iteration of The International, Dota 2 fans were surprised not to see Puppey competing at TI12. However, the former TI-all-timer revealed that he came close to making it to Seattle in a different role.
Following Team Secret’s elimination from Western Europe’s TI12 qualifiers, many fans believed Puppey’s 11-year streak had come to an end. However, rumors circulated that he might play as a stand-in for Team SMG or attend as a coach for 9Pandas.
In an interview with Cybersport.ru, Puppey confirmed that both options were considered but ultimately did not materialize. He stated, “Only 9Pandas offered to fly me to The International as a coach. I was supposed to play for SMG, but their support player received a visa two days before departure.”
9Pandas offlaner MieRo` also confirmed that Puppey was offered the coaching opportunity but preferred to attend as a player. When the chance to join SMG arose, Puppey decided to take it.
Puppey was seen scrimming with SMG’s players before TI12 due to visa issues faced by several team members. With MinD_ContRoL standing in for Masaros and Januel potentially unable to travel to Seattle, the roster was already undergoing adjustments.
Unfortunately for Puppey, his chances of playing at TI12 were dashed just days before his departure when Januel secured his visa. This sudden change may have affected SMG’s preparations, as they had been practicing with Puppey for 10 days before the event.
With SMG filling their spot right before TI12, Puppey found himself without a role to fill. 9Pandas had already picked up DM as a coach after his controversial departure from OG’s roster.
Accepting his first miss of The International, Puppey expressed some regret about Secret’s performance in the qualifiers. He believed they could have beaten Quest and secured a spot in the tournament. Puppey stated, “I think it was about time [to miss TI]. I wasn’t feeling anything, [but Secret] should have gone through qualifiers. I think we could have beaten Quest. Then we definitely would have gotten through. I don’t think we would have lost to D1 Hustlers.”
Now watching the event from home, Puppey has been providing commentary. He praised Team Spirit as the “best team in team fights and map movement,” a sentiment he believes has been evident throughout the year.
About the author
Source: DOTESPORTS
