TOfu notes that this was an extremely important period for Gaimin as, during the bootcamp for Riyadh, he only played two games of Dota <\/em>because he \u201cdidn’t want to touch the game.\u201d That mentality was a setback several players carried with them while preparing for the big event, and it led to poor adjustments and a \u201cdesperately\u201d needed break. <\/p>
\u201cWe weren’t happy with the way we played the game [at Riyadh], and we tried to improve and get on track. But leading up to that point, the way we played the game had got nerfed so we had difficulties trying to adjust,\u201d tOfu said. \u201cDuring the lower bracket run, I\u2019d say we learned the most, but in the end, it wasn\u2019t enough for us. And the other teams outplayed us. And if you show a weak side, you\u2019ll get punished immediately.\u201d<\/p>
Despite not performing up to their own standards at Riyadh or DL21, where they finished seventh right before TI, Gaimin has not changed their approach to tournaments at all. <\/p>
From the moment this iteration of the team formed in December to the lead-up to TI12, Gaimin enters them all with no expectations and the goal to play their best Dota<\/em>. <\/p>
\u201cEvery tournament we go to, we go in without expectations. We basically have the talk about how much time and effort we would like to put into it, and we want everyone to be on the same page on this,\u201d tOfu said. \u201cWhen it comes to a major tournament like Riyadh everyone wants to win it. But for us, we just treated like any other tournament, yes there was more money on the line, and we still wanted to just play and not think about that.\u201d<\/p>
Right before TI, tOfu told Dot Esports that he was \u201cnot sure whether the pressure is going to be any different\u201d at TI this year considering there is a lesser prize pool and Gaimin entered as one of the favorites. However, he did say that he was looking forward to testing himself at the most prestigious event as he likes \u201cbeing on the stage and on high stakes.\u201d<\/p>
\u201cAs a player, I don\u2019t think there should be any additional stress because it\u2019s just another tournament, if a tournament is big, you should always prepare for it on the same level,\u201d tOfu said.<\/p>
