In the new interview, Kuroky detailed his career as a professional player and coach. Currently, Kuro is the coach of the stack Astra Invicta, while his major achievements are tied to Team Liquid: winning The International 2017 and reaching the grand finals of The International 2019.
Interesting topics from the interview:
- After The International 2026: Kuroky wanted to work specifically with Nightfall (now they are together in Astra Invicta). He also received an offer to become a coach in LGD Gaming;
- Brief altercations with Arteezy at The International 2015 were touched upon;
- A funny story about how Kuroky’s team picked Lycan twice, got countered by Naga Siren, and got eliminated from a major tournament.
About Miracle: his health and the reasons why he isn't returning to the pro scene:
Thank God, his health is all good now, everything sorted out. I would definitely say it's a matter of motivation, yeah. I think all of us kind of had it coming for a while.
My relationship with him has always been just amazing. I spoke to him literally a couple of days ago. We have a really strong bond. I asked him… guys, I ask him to return to the game every year. I told him: «Play, you don't have to play in my team. Just play. It doesn't matter. Go anywhere and just play.» I told him that you'll do great. You have it in you. For me, that's unquestionable. And he's like: «No, I don't want to».
So I think I did my part. I asked him, and he just… he lost all motivation, all the fire, and he doesn't care. It's very sad. He's a very joyful person. Very joyful. Like… a very, very happy guy. He was the main source of good energy in the team.
He is a pretty happy guy, not to mention his skills in Dota — for me, Miracle is the best player of all time. This is not open to question at all. He is the most inspiring player. It seems there is not a single professional who is as respected and praised as him. If you ask anyone from that era, everyone will say: «I admire Miracle, I learn from Miracle». Moreover, he made a huge contribution to the gameplay — so many gameplay moments that we now miss so much even from new players. It was very interesting to watch him. This is extremely rare. Playing with him is amazing. He was the glue of the team, a wonderful person — this is truly a big loss for the pro scene.
Best highlights from Miracle:
Kuroky on the COVID-19 period and how it affected players' attitudes towards the game:
It was the first clear sign of burnout: when COVID started and all these tournaments were canceled, I, honestly, was even glad. I thought: «Okay, we won't have to fly». This showed where my heart lies.
Kuroky on the main mistake during the roster shuffle in Nigma:
"We picked iLTW, and that is the only roster change decision that I really regret. It was a bad move. We should have removed him from the team much earlier and faster. If you ask me about my biggest mistake, that would be it. The fact that we didn't kick him from the team. It was a really bad time.
I'm not going to put him on blast or anything like that, but it really didn't work out and nothing good came of it.
He is a good guy, he has a kind heart. We liked him and all that, but it just never clicked with the team, and we had already been playing together for too long. He should have been removed much earlier."
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