Gaimin Gladiators.Quinn: "The Meta is Annoying"

Last season, there were many doubts about Gaimin Gladiators' newest midlaner, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan. However, the player quickly silenced all his doubters by dominating everyone who came to his lane in tournaments. Consequently, he helped Gaimin secure multiple trophies, cementing them as one of the top teams in the professional Dota 2 scene. However, two of the most prestigious trophies had eluded him.

Gaimin Gladiators at ESL One Birmingham 2024. (Credit: ESL).

This season, Quinn secured the Riyadh Masters trophy with Gaimin Gladiators. Now, his eyes are set on the trophy that every Dota 2 player desires: The International. Recently, in a TI 13 interview, the player reflected on his accomplishments. He talked about how the meta has evolved. Quinn also identified his biggest threat to securing The International trophy.

Quinn: "The meta is a bit annoying"

Patch updates play a pivotal role in Dota 2. This season, Valve introduced some new mechanics to the game, and more recently, they added a new hero. This forced players had to adapt quickly to the meta changes. In his interview, Quinn discussed how these changes impacted his midlane in the current meta.

"The meta, in general, is maybe a bit annoying – maybe too much-broken stuff. A lot of first-phase bans are a bit locked. It's okay, I think. There's some heroes, I wish they were there – but they aren't. It's not so bad; it's okay. I would love to play Void Spirit every game, but that hero is not very good right now, unfortunately."

Quinn: "Playing Dota competitively is already like a very ego-filled thing"

After joining Gaimin Gladiators, Quinn quickly rose to dominance in the midlane. His unique playstyle on tempo heroes was often backed up by the supports of his team.

Quinn is one of the breakout midlaners in 2023. He earned an Esports Player of the Year nomination. (Credits: @GaiminGladiator)

As a result, Gaimin would close out games early, gaining them much success. In his interview, Quinn warned how ego could be the biggest enemy, especially when someone is at the top.

"I think there were points during the past couple of years where I was very good. Calling yourself the best at any point is just ill-advised. Maybe it works for some people, and they need to think that way. For me, I think whenever you start getting complacent– there's just a lot of good players now, people will catch you up and catch up to you and pass you up very very quickly. Playing Dota competitively is already like a very ego-filled thing, I don't think you need to artificially put more ego into it – calling yourself the best or whatever. You play, you win, cool, and if you lost, you suck and that's how it works."

Gaimin Gladiators secured many noteworthy accomplishments last season. However, the team had a slow start this year until the Riyadh Masters 2024, where they emerged victorious.

From left to right: Ace, Dyrachyo, Quinn, Tofu, Seleri (Credit: Esports World Cup)

In his interview, Quinn reflected on his team's slow start and also discussed his team's mindset, values, and attitude toward the game.

"I think maybe you can feel if people think you're really good or something right now. Most people on this team tend to stray away from ego-patting that much. Good jobs here and there are not forbidden of course, but there's something that feels like crossing a line whenever you're too flagrant and self-indulgent, and I think that is somewhat dangerous. I think the falloff was a lot due to the things that make every team fall off – people get complacent and fighting that complacency in every way you can and continuing to have the fire and to look for different ways in which you're trying to be the best is the hard part of staying winning. Everyone is trying to beat you and everyone else is trying really hard and they don't have that complacency factor from winning. So, it's always a fight against that. Anything you can do to push back againt that will help with longevity."

Quinn: "Beating Team Spirit is mandatory"

Last season, despite having a dominant streak, Gaimin fell short in their TI run. They hit their first hiccup in the seeding decider series and had to start in the lower bracket. Though they fought their way to the grand finals, Team Spirit was too strong for them.

Gaimin Gladiators before The International 2023 grand finals. (Credits: Valve)

Reflecting on their TI journey last season, Quinn expressed his discontent with how they performed and expressed his desire to overcome their last year's struggles.

" It was definitely a privilege to play at in a TI final and I'll always appreciate that. Obviously, not happy with the result and the tournament is tarnished because of the ending for sure. I want them to not win more than anything this year. Obviously, I also really wanna win but beating them is mandatory."

At The International 2024, the group stage concluded with Gaimin Gladiators placing second in Group A. They will face beastcoast in an upcoming seeding decider series. The results will determine where they will start their main event journey. Be sure to visit our website, Strafe, for the latest coverage of all the action at The International 2024.

Featured Image Source: Valve

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