Gunnar talks nouns, 1v1 matchups, and function swapping at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024

Nouns dominated the qualifier for BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024, and now offlaner Nicolas “Gunnar” Lopez is having fun with the fruits of his labors. The two-turned-3 hopes to point out off the crew’s new lineup within the struggle for the $1 million prize pool. Esports.gg sat down with Gunnar earlier than the beginning of the group stage to speak concerning the crew’s low season shuffle and the way nouns’ distinctive construction impacts the sponsorship course of.

Learn on for our unique interview with Gunnar from nouns at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024.

Esports.gg: Gunnar, how are FISSURE and BetBoom treating you right here at BetBoom Dacha? Is it your first time in Dubai?

Gunnar: It is very nice, this event is very nice. The lodge is absolutely good. Up to now, it has been a very nice event.

Have been there any professional gamers who impressed you to pursue Dota 2 full-time?

In all probability [Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan] and [Danil “Dendi” Ishutin.] Once I was first taking part in Dota, it was round TI3, so I used to be like “I need to be mid as a result of Dendi is absolutely cool.” After which, in 2015 when SumaiL received TI, he is like about my age, he is slightly bit older. I used to be like “Ah, SumaiL received TI and he is about my age, which implies that I can win TI too!” So he was my inspiration to be a professional participant.

The king is a standard inspiration for at the moment’s prime mids (Picture by way of Valve)

What do you concentrate on the DPC dissolving and third-party occasions like this taking its place?

I feel for the highest groups, groups which might be qualifying to nearly all of LANs, it is a greater system in a way as a result of there’s extra time for LAN tournaments and fewer time caught in qualifiers. However I feel for the groups that battle to qualify, it hurts far more this 12 months. Final 12 months, you would play towards good groups extra constantly, you would get extra prize cash. For us final 12 months, we solely certified for the third tour. If that was this 12 months, it might simply be a waste of time, whereas final 12 months, we obtained to all the time observe, all the time get on stream, and get some DPC prize cash.

Do you ever use your fame in pubs? If somebody tries to take your function from you, do you simply inform them that you just’re Gunnar?

Uh, not likely. Nicely… Typically folks flame me and I will say “It is humorous you could flame me as a result of you understand my identify, however I do not know who you’re. You are Rank 1,000.” However for probably the most half, not likely. Individuals already know who everyone seems to be, and so they flame you no matter who you’re, so a reputation drop does not actually matter.

Are there any heroes that you just want had been stronger for this event?

Beastmaster, most likely. I feel he is okay and he could be picked, however he is not what he was. He was enjoyable since you may both go zoo or go Aghs. I feel each builds had been actually enjoyable, however he hasn’t felt that good lately.

Gunnar is 5-3 on Beastmaster in official matches (Picture by way of Valve)

In the event you may solely play one hero for the remainder of your life, who would you decide and why?

Hmm… Of any hero, it might most likely be Ember. I want it was Ember from two years in the past earlier than they added all of the solid factors on ult. That simply makes me actually unhappy each time I play Ember that there is solid factors to each throw out and to go to it. So if I may get Ember from two years in the past, it might be Ember. But when I could not go to the outdated Ember, possibly Invoker simply because he is actually enjoyable. You may really feel impactful at any level within the recreation. And late recreation is absolutely enjoyable to play with Invoker while you’re six-slotted.

Shopify Rise up is shaping as much as be a significant rival this qualifier season. What’s it like taking part in towards that crew so many instances?

I feel the entire video games we performed with them in simply January was 18 in officers. That is a number of video games towards only one crew. But it surely was enjoyable to play. The toughest half is that we did not have a lot time for scrims primarily based on how scheduling labored. We performed extra officers than scrims up to now — simply because we had a number of journey and it is onerous to play whereas we’re separated. We needed to do a number of observe on the fly. I prefer to suppose that later because the 12 months goes, we’ll truly get extra observe and get to work collectively that it is going to be simpler for us to beat them [in] best-of-fives.

The roster lately rebuilt itself with just a few new gamers, and nouns has distinctive possession beneath a DAO. How did that change conversations between you and the sponsor?

By way of the sponsor, no. What occurred is, after TI, I approached some gamers and a few gamers approached me, and we constructed the roster earlier than we approached the org. Nouns reached out and so they needed to work with me if I had a crew already. We obtained our five-man and we talked to nouns, we talked to another orgs, and nouns was like “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Are you the first level of contact for the DAO?

I would not say major, however I’ve labored with them the longest, ever since they obtained into Dota, which has been round two and a half years. We’ve a historical past, so I’ve tenure to an extent.

Nouns was the one NA crew to achieve prime eight at TI 2023 (Picture by way of Valve)

The DAO makes use of its personal coin for voting, proper?

They vote, so we weren’t 100% sponsored till the vote handed. It handed, so we’re good. However technically, there was a time limit the place despite the fact that they stated they’d sponsor us, we nonetheless needed to look forward to the vote to cross.

Are you aware the precise outcomes of the vote?

Not off the highest of my head, however I feel it was fairly snug. It wasn’t that shut.

You’re collaborating within the 1v1 event later within the occasion. Are there any gamers you notably need to beat?

I do not suppose there are any particular gamers. I am excited as a result of I’ve by no means been in a 1v1 event. I am slightly nervous, I am not a mid participant. So we’ll see how my expertise form up as an offlaner. We’ll see, (laughs) we’ll see what I can do.

Is there anybody you are fearful of?

No. I feel I can beat anybody.

We’ll see. Let the perfect laner win.

Have you ever two practiced in any respect?

We do some observe. That is truly the humorous factor. If he must observe a matchup, he’ll simply message me. He’ll 1v1 different folks, however we’ve got performed some 1v1s earlier than simply to observe matchups.

In concept, Shadow Fiend on open area. Who wins?

Often what we do is we play tremendous particular match-ups simply to observe ideas, so I do not suppose we have ever practiced that means. We must always go 1v1 to see who’s the higher laner.

The function swap got here as a shock to many followers. How did you begin the transition? Did you carry it as much as your teammates or had been you requested?

It was inside greater than something. Even final 12 months earlier than TI, I thought of switching to an offlaner, however there simply weren’t any mids for our roster on the time and it simply made extra sense to remain as mid. But it surely’s been one thing that I have been enthusiastic about. I am having a number of enjoyable. To an extent, it is good to really feel like there’s quite a bit to be taught. For mid, it was beginning to really feel as if I wanted to maintain enhancing in such small quantities that it was onerous to really feel like I used to be enhancing. Once I’m offlane, it appears like there’s a lot to be taught. It is very easy for me to really feel like I am getting higher day by day and maintain working onerous.

And the followers? I get quite a bit asking me to play mid. Each time I stream, everybody simply needs me to mid on stream. It is a frequent factor.

Are there any basic mids that you just need to take offlane? Invoker, Ember, and many others.?

We obtained impressed by Heroic, [Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn] was taking part in offlane Ember, so we copied a few of their offlane Ember. I feel in the beginning of the crew, we had been taking part in some Earth Spirit offlane — I’ve performed that after in an official. However for probably the most half, a lot of the heroes I play are simply offlaner offlaners. I have not performed many loopy mid offlaners but.

Tal “Fly” Aizik was a extremely massive shock to see be part of nouns. What’s it like working with him?

I actually like working with Fly. The massive distinction is that [Rodrigo “Lelis” Santos] was our captain final 12 months whereas [Filipe “Astini” Astini], our coach, was our drafter. However this 12 months, a number of these obligations are on Fly. So he is our captain and our drafter. It is freed up each of them to have the ability to do their very own particular person jobs extra, which has been good. Simply within the recreation, [Fly] could be very calm and he is actually enjoyable to play with. He is a number of enjoyable to play with.

A particular because of Gunnar from nouns for taking the time at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024 to talk with esports.gg.