As Dota 2 teams gear up for The International 2023, most are currently deep in their bootcamp sessions. Amongst the crowd, Team Spirit stands out with a unique approach, recently sharing an unconventional practice session on YouTube.
In this unorthodox video, all Team Spirit members gather in a music studio and instead of playing Dota 2, they rock and roll with a customized edition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
After an instrumental entrance, Miroslav “Mira” Kolpakov takes the vocals as other team members immerse themselves in the music, skillfully playing their respective instruments.
Throughout the video, Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov and Denis “Larl” Sigitov showcase their guitar skills, while Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naydenov and Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk maintain the rhythm, handling the bass and drums, respectively.
Heading into TI12, Team Spirit is considered one of the top contenders in the event, especially after their form in recent months. Despite having a successful year in the EEU region, Spirit failed to find consistency in global tournaments until this summer.
Spirit’s breakthrough came at the Riyadh Master 2023, where they defied expectations, defeating Western European powerhouses like Team Liquid and clinching the title, along with a cash prize of $5 million. Building on this momentum, they secured another victory at DreamLeague Season 21, adding an impressive $300,000 to their earnings.
In total, Team Spirit won $5.3 million in winnings only a couple of months before TI 2023, a substantial achievement considering the stagnating prize pool of Dota 2’s The International 2023 following a disappointing Compendium 2023 update.
While TI 2023 is projected to feature the lowest prize pool in Dota 2 history since 2013, the tournament remains deeply cherished by players. It holds a special place in Dota 2 fans’ hearts as the game’s World Cup.
