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Dota fans, it’s the end of an era — and the start of a new one. The Team Liquid vs Gaimin Gladiators rivalry has been nothing short of legendary for the last few years, and their clashes will always be remembered, but it’s time for certain members of that rivalry to bury the hatchet and join forces. Team Liquid Dota is officially welcoming an old foe, tOfu, to the roster.

So, what does it feel like to join the very team you once battled so fiercely? We spoke to tOfu about starting this new chapter, the unique path that led him here, and his ambitions for the future of Team Liquid.

Team Liquid was one of your fiercest opponents. We can all still remember a time when, in every major grand final, you had to play against them. Now you are on their side. What does that feel like?

Feels pretty good. I think I've played against Team Liquid more than any other esports team, both in pubs and tournaments. And because we clashed so many times, it became like having a rivalry with your best friends. Generally, with Team Liquid, I always had the best connections. With their players and their coach. I have always liked them and have always had a great deal of respect for them.

I feel that the 2023 season, during which we played in every finals match against each other, witnessed one of the strongest Dota 2 rivalries in history. So, I'm just happy for a new chapter that I can share with them.

You’ve switched to Dota 2 relatively recently compared to most of your peers in the scene, about five years ago. What do you treasure the most in terms of experience and lessons learnt since you embraced a professional career in Dota 2?

Dota, among other games, has always been a passion and hobby for me since I was a kid. And it was always a back-and-forth decision about whether to pursue other things, such as travel, work, study, or simply do things. But gaming was always a big part of my life. Even though I committed to pro playing later than others might have done, I did so with very conscious thoughts.  

I've had a lot of experiences before becoming a professional player, and I chose to pursue this path because I truly wanted to. And there's been a lot of sacrifices, time, friends, commitment that you have to make, but it's also very rewarding with highs and lows and experiences, people you meet, and all of the extraordinary experiences that regular people don't get to have. And a lot of travel, obviously, and competition, and the adrenaline that comes with playing on stage in front of people, things that are not within grasp in a normal life.

Would you trade that for anything else?

It's hard to say. The season is definitely packed, so there are moments when I'm sure every player hopes for a little break, or a chance to take a vacation, or to try something else for a while.

I wouldn't say I would like to trade it, but sometimes there’s a curiosity about what could have been if I had done something different. However, at the same time, all those years when I had different jobs and pursued my studies, I was constantly wondering what everything would be like if I decided to go pro. So, I'm also really happy that I followed that desire.

For those who might not be aware, you almost became a pro in Counter-Strike, and you’ve also been close to qualifying for Worlds in League of Legends before switching to Dota. Are you looking forward to meeting Liquid’s CS2 team and maybe play some lobbies with them for fun?

I'm not sure if they are interested in playing with me. It's like if I play with some sort of random, low-ranked people in Dota. I'm not playing many other games anymore, but I do follow competitive CS sometimes, because I just like the game. So I think out of that scene, I know most of the players, and it would definitely be interesting to talk with them. But besides that, my peak in Counter-Strike or League or Legends feels like it was a lifetime ago. Or in a different lifetime.

You are now coming to Team Liquid with Ace, who has been your teammate and lane partner for the past five years. How do you think your duo dynamic will impact or change things up at Team Liquid?

Good question. I mean, with the whole situation that happened, our foundation basically broke apart, where we had to find new land, so to speak.

I began my professional career with a few small, diverse teams, alongside Ace. Yes, it’s been five years already. But it essentially all began with Team Tickles, then Gaimin Gladiators, as my first organization. And I could have seen my career end there as well, within another few years or so.

But, with everything that happened, and especially now in the shuffle season, there have been many other people, teams interested, and there was a lot of back and forth. There were rumors of me joining different teams, and I don't want to deny them. It was a really complicated situation.

It also seemed like Ace and I wouldn't play together anymore. Not because we didn't want to, but because the opportunities just didn't arise for us. And then it's a lot about success, friendship, and trust. Can we make it work? What is my own career? What do I want? How important was our relationship? Do we keep on building? How is it with other teams? I also didn't really play with other teams. There was just so much going through my head during this shuffle.

So, in the end, I'm even happier that it worked out, and we could both play with Liquid. I really value Ace as a player and as a friend, and I think everyone in the scene knows him. He's been around for a long time, and Liquid has played against us so many times. So, they also know what we are good at and what we can bring to the team.

I feel strongly positive about this roster and its future because everyone is highly skilled, we get along well, have a good mindset, and we are all mature players who can easily figure things out.

In a very short time, you will be making your debut with Team Liquid at BLAST Slam IV. That’s a pretty big first tournament of the season, and it happens so soon after the shuffle.  How are you feeling about it? Have you already set a target for it?

I would like to win and be dominant right from the start, but we haven't started scrimming yet. I think there's still a lot to catch up on and discuss to determine how we want to play, what we want to play, how we communicate in the game, what we need to work on, whether our styles mesh well, or what our identity is.

I think there's still a lot of work that needs to be done, so you can't expect things to go smoothly right from the beginning. But, still, I'm hopeful and determined that we will make things work. And I think everyone is really hungry after the previous season. Liquid had a bad TI run, and Ace and I didn't have our strongest run in the previous season, so I feel like everyone's highly motivated, and I'm sure it's going to be good.

You come with a very impressive track record throughout your career, and Liquid are no strangers to being regarded as a powerhouse team. Do you feel any pressure to deliver the big results right from the start?

I wouldn't really put it as pressure necessarily. There will likely be high expectations from the fans. I think there will be a lot of eyes on us, but it's up to you to decide whether to let yourself get pressured by it or not.

Is there anything you would like to say to Team Liquid fans and to the fans who have been with you through your entire career?

Team Liquid has a very large following and fan base, and for the longest time, they've been cheering against me. I hope we can move past that shadow and work together towards a new future now.

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