Gaimin Gladiators carry Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov commented on his dropoff in European Dota 2 matchmaking. The player has little time to juggle between pubs, scrims, and tournaments. Watson shared this with his fans on stream.
You can't play a lot in pubs when there are many tournaments and practice games. Usually, you play one pub before a scrim to warm up. After training, there's little time left: You watch demos and discuss them. Then, you play a couple of pubs and go to bed because the day is over. It's easier to play pubs when you're not involved in tournaments. You just sit and push them non-stop. Even now, I have a practice game.
Watson has held the top 1 position on the ladder for most of 2022 and 2023. For a short period, he even occupied two top spots at once, using a smurf. 2024 was a more busy year for the carry, but he still often climbed to the top, slightly dropping down during tournaments.
Currently, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk holds first place on the ladder, having bypassed the 16,000 MMR mark. The Ukrainian carry claims that the closest challengers have about 15.5k points. He has been inactive since TI13 and spent most of his time playing Dota 2 pubs. Watson is now fifth. He recently complained about Immortal Draft's responsibility to decide his teammates.
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