With the Last Chance Qualifier and Group Stage performance behind them, Team Liquid are still alive at The International 2022 after surviving a brush with Entity in the lower bracket that allowed them to extend MATUMBAMAN’s last ride just a little longer.
Overall, TI11 has been a game of snowball or be snowballed for Liquid, with a number of games seeing them demolish teams in record-breakingly fast matches as they took longer to close out games. And, heading into another elimination series against WEU rival OG, Samuel “Boxi” Svahn said the series is likely to be “spicier” than other potential matchups due to how random things might get.
With OG recently claiming they would be more focused on playing “their style of Dota 2,” Boxi also highlighted how OG’s aggressive playstyle could set up the atmosphere for a more hectic and fun match between the two teams tomorrow at 12am CT.
“OG are always a little random. They have their own ideas about heroes and meta,” Boxi said to escorenews. “Today they played Naga support and other shit. And I know OG can always throw a game. So, that’s very good. When you play against LGD or Aster, losing feels like [makes a disappointed sound]. But OG can always throw, or they can also be more aggressive. It will be much spicier.”
While Liquid has been in the driver’s seat in most series they played at TI11, Boxi said they felt the pressure getting to them versus Aster and that they may have been “too scared” to play a certain way.
Worrying about making mistakes caused Liquid to move away from their impulsive playstyle, which can typically catch teams off guard, which they regained in their series against Entity.
According to Boxi, Liquid are currently in the process of pushing through that feeling of fear and doubt, so nothing holds them back in their upcoming matches, with eyes now on dealing with the randomness OG can bring to the table.
