Ace: "If I'm ever gonna win a TI, I definitely wanna win this one"

Gaimin Gladiators had tremendous success last season– securing multiple trophies across various tournaments and finishing as runners-up at The International 2023.

The team received a direct invite to The International 2024. Before heading to this year's TI, Gaimin regained momentum by winning the Riyadh Masters  2024 at the Esports World Cup.

This year's TI is being held in Denmark, the home country of Marcus "Ace" Christensen. In a recent interview, he discussed his team's journey throughout the season.

Ace: "When you win a lot, the game keeps nerfing your strategies"

One of the key factors contributing to Gaimin's success last season was their unique strategies. The team often centered their gameplay around their midlaner, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan. This approach led them to several victories throughout last season.

Quinn played a pivotal part in Gaimin's success last season. (Credits: Valve)

However, despite repeating this playstyle, their success doesn't seem to follow them this season. In reflecting on the team's performance, Ace discussed what has changed since then for Gaimin Gladiators. He also revealed how the team managed to regain their footing.

"When you win a lot, the game definitely keeps nerfing your strategies and your heroes. There were so many frequent patches, and whoever wins – what they play the most will always get nerfed. It just kept happening and happening and happening. After the tournament, you have to find new stuff. You have to try hard again and again, and you kept doing this for long – it gets pretty hard to keep it going. People got a bit exhausted by trying after every tournament. After not winning so much for a while, we just got the drive back again."

Ace reflected on Gaimin's TI performance last season

In their TI run last season, Gaimin faced a setback in their seeding decider series against Talon Esports. Consequently, they had to start their Main Event from the lower bracket. Despite making their way to the grand finals, Team Spirit with a decisive victory shattered GG's hopes of lifting the Aegis.

Gaimin Gladiators before their TI12 grand finals. (Credits: Valve)

Looking back on their performance, Ace was surprised that Gaimin Gladiators advanced to the grand finals. Furthermore, the player admitted that the team did not perform to their standards at the particular tournament.

" That year was pretty crazy – we feel like we were pretty bad. We went straight to the lower bracket. Then, we have full lower-bracket run, almost. We managed to claw through games and make it all the way to the final – against Spirit. In that final, we did not play what we usually play. That's something we've talked a lot about and worked on– like why did that happen, what happened in that final particularly. I do think it's something to do with some players – they regarded TI way above anything else. That can easily create pressure that can caused you jaggy mindset and this happens for us. We talked a lot about it. Hopefully, it's not something that gonna happen when we play in this final."

Ace: "If I'm ever gonna win a TI, I definitely wanna win this one"

With the recent rise of the Riyadh Masters, the prestige of The International (TI) could be under threat. In recent years TI prize pools decreased by a margin.

Ace before his TI12 grand finals. (Credits: Valve)

In his interview, Ace shared his thoughts on the matter and also expressed his excitement about TI being held on his home soil.

"We've been to a lot of finals. I think we have a pretty good final-win ratio. EWC, it's not really TI. TI is a bit special and can create more pressure somehow. People really wanna be part of "I have won TI club", get the rings or whatever. You know all that stuff. As soon as I knew that TI was gonna be in Denmark, I instantly felt – oh shit man. If I'm ever gonna win a TI, I definitely wanna win this one. It would mean a lot."

The group stage of The International 2024 is currently underway. In this year's TI, no teams will be eliminated during the group stage; eliminations will begin at the Main Event. Gaimin Gladiators are among the favourites to win TI13. Be sure to visit our website for the latest coverage of all the action at The International 2024.

Featured Image Source: Valve

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