An interview with Thunder Predator’s mid laner, Leostyle, where we spoke about preparation for TI10, their new coach Fear and the South American Dota 2 scene.
Image: Thunder Predator
When Thunder Predator took the Singapore Major by storm, their mid laner Leonardo “LeoStyle” Sifuentes was at the forefront, leading their charge. It was that performance at the first DPC Major of the year that took them from the group stages to the playoffs and earned them the 5th/6th finish, which was vital in securing the direct invite to TI10. GosuGamers caught up with Leostyle to talk about the road ahead to TI10 and how the South American region has been developing with regards to Dota 2, amongst other things.
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Hello LeoStyle! How’s it going? How are things in Peru?
Hello! I'm doing alright, and feeling quite calm after qualifying for TI10. Currently, things are not going too well in Peru due to the issue of the presidential elections and Covid-19. Fortunately, the vaccination process has already started, but it is quite slow compared to other countries.
Hopefully, things get better soon. Let’s get to your team, Thunder Predator. Congratulations on the direct invite to TI10! Are you guys bootcamping for TI10 or is everyone at their own homes?
Thank you! Yes, we are going to Bootcamp long before TI10 starts, probably a couple of weeks before the trip. Right now, we are taking a break. All of us are home, getting some much needed family time and clearing our minds.
Thunder Predator has been one of the top SA team for a while now. Do you think the competition around you is growing? Has this DPC format helped in bringing out more talent in the SA region?
I think that the competition in the South American region is constantly growing. A major reason for that is the tournaments that happen outside the DPC. There is always a tournament taking place within the region, which definitely helps. But besides that, the new DPC System is nurturing new talents in the 1st and 2nd divisions. We have seen teams like Infinity and Hokori getting stronger as the year has progressed. It is a positive sign to see new talent in the region, especially in the form of young players.
It is a positive sign to see new talent in the region, especially in the form of young players.
You recently brought on Clinton “Fear” Loomis as your coach. Was that before or after you sealed your TI10 invite? What does he bring to the table?
The decision to bring Fear on as a coach had been made before we secured the direct invite to The International. He was going to be part of the team, even if we would have had to play in the regional qualifiers. Joel “Mooz” Mori Ozambela knows Fear quite well, ever since they were teammates a long time ago in J.Storm. Fear is a TI winner and we believe that he would really add a lot of value to the team as a coach; helping improve our playstyle, and above all, help tackle the playstyles of teams from regions other than SA.
Hopefully, he’ll have a really good impact on the team! Do you guys scrim with NA teams as well, or is it only with SA teams?
We scrim with teams from both regions, but a majority of the scrims are against NA teams. NA teams are more organized and can help us improve our game.
What steps do you think are needed to make SA as dominant as EU or China? You recently mentioned it would be beneficial for SA to have its own server. Would that make a major difference?
One of the things that South American players need to do is be more professional and take things seriously. I feel like the European and Chinese teams are more professional than all others, and that makes them stand out at LAN tournaments.
As for the server, we [South America] do have our own server but for some reason, most players prefer to play on the NA servers for a high-level pub experience. For example, just recently I played a ranked game in NA in which nine out of the ten players were from South America, which is an indicator of how little use we make of the SA server. Mooz recently proposed an idea of playing only on the SA server at certain times of the day in order to generate high-level pubs which are highly competitive along with the main advantage of less latency. I feel that it would be great if we could use the servers that Valve has provided us, but at the same time, it is really difficult because we always want to improve our level by playing against the cream of the crop from NA.
I feel like the European and Chinese teams are more professional than all others, and that makes them stand out at LAN tournaments.
How popular is Dota 2 in Peru? Is it the most popular esport? Also, why do you think a majority of the Dota 2 players in SA are from Peru and Brazil? Are the other countries not too involved in the game?
Dota has probably been the most popular video game in Peru for many years, ever since the Dota 1 days. Yes, most of the players in the region belong to Peru and Brazil, but we also have players from Bolivia, Uruguay, and Argentina. Unfortunately, the remaining South American countries don’t prioritize Dota 2 as highly as some of the other esports.
How do you like the 7.29 patch? Any particular changes you would like to see in patch 7.30?
From my perspective as a mid laner, I don’t really like patch 7.29 a lot. It feels like right now, the mid role has become much easier with all the help mid laners get, but hey, Dota 2 is a game that is constantly changing. I would like them to remove the 2-minute Toilet Runes [Water Runes] when patch 7.30 arrives. Another thing I would like to see is one more level added to Power Treads, Phase Boots, and Tranquil boots, as well as to Boots of Travel Level 2.
I would like Valve to remove the 2 minute Toilet Runes (Water Runes) when patch 7.30 arrives.
When did you start playing Dota 2 and when did you realize you could make it as a professional?
My tryst with the game began from Dota 1 – I've been playing Dota 1 and Dota 2 combined for 10 years now. In my early days, the players I played with always told me that I stood out in games, which was when I realized that if I could dedicate myself to esports, I could make a living out of it. There were also situations early on when I was offered a place in teams, but I chose to play with my close friends instead.
What does Leostyle like doing outside of Dota 2, when he’s not playing?
When I’m not playing Dota 2, I like spending time and going out with my family, my girlfriend and friends, which right now is a bit difficult due to the pandemic. I also like playing CS:GO and Age of Empires.
Thank you for your time! Any shoutouts?
Thank you for the interview and shoutout to all the people who continue to support us in these difficult times.
