“I can’t tell people ‘Get on my level’ yet”. MoonMeander on NA state, being 30, and adding heroes from HoN to DotaExclusive

Professional gaming analyst Ben “Noxville” Steenhuisen confirmed that TSM.FTX has officially qualified for The International 2022 following their impressive top-3 performance at The Stockholm Dota Major. Journalist Polina Mashina conducted an exclusive interview with team captain David “MoonMeander” Tan to explore the organization’s journey to success and the competitive landscape of North American Dota.

— Before the Major Bryle shared a social media post featuring Hasbullah labeled as “coach”. What’s the story behind this unconventional training camp addition?

— Absolutely, we maintain a life-sized Hasbullah cutout within our practice facility. The organization’s League of Legends division originally acquired this promotional item for their squad members who admire the personality. Since several of our Dota 2 competitors similarly appreciate Hasbullah’s presence, we negotiated temporary custody with the simple request: “Since the League team isn’t currently utilizing this, could we borrow it for motivational purposes?” Management approved the temporary transfer.

— Regarding your coaching staff… What specific contributions does MISERY provide to the team’s strategic development?

— He serves as my primary strategic sounding board for Dota theorycrafting throughout each day. His presence ensures my tactical innovations maintain practical viability while retaining creative ambition. I require someone capable of challenging my assumptions through rigorous debate. Constant philosophical discussions with regular teammates proves counterproductive since they must concentrate on assigned in-game responsibilities. He additionally handles delegated team coordination tasks that I assign for systematic improvement.

— Is MISERY’s involvement a permanent organizational commitment, or temporary Major-specific support?

— This represents a long-term strategic partnership. He will continue supporting our competitive efforts through TI and beyond.

— Your team demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the Major tournament. What internal challenges demanded the most management attention behind the scenes?

— Primary difficulties centered around competitive pressure management and younger competitors’ adaptation to high-stakes environments. Managing emotional responses to consecutive losses presented our most significant organizational hurdle. My responsibility involved mentoring them through effective stress coping methodologies while simultaneously maintaining personal performance standards. Captainship complexity stems from comprehensive team management obligations layered atop individual skill maintenance. This necessitated extensive additional practice sessions. Juggling team leadership, personal development, and maintaining personal relationships created substantial logistical complexity.

— How does your team systematically address competitive stress? Do you employ professional psychological support services?

— Indeed, we conduct regular group therapy sessions. I extensively study psychological literature and educational content from platforms like YouTube, particularly resources from Dr. K. I frequently implement learned psychological principles through controlled experimentation with various teammates.

— Many competing organizations appeared to underestimate your roster’s capabilities despite your established position as a top-2 North American team. Do you perceive this pattern of underestimation?

— Professional Dota competitors frequently exhibit substantial confidence in their abilities. Developing humility requires consistent mentorship over time. External criticism should never dictate internal confidence metrics. Competitive performance ultimately validates team quality more effectively than promotional rhetoric.

— TSM.FTX represented the sole North American organization advancing through tournament stages. How concerning is the current competitive health of your region given only two Major qualification slots?

— This situation generates considerable frustration. I’ve consistently advocated for three NA qualification positions for several competitive cycles. Despite opposition from certain community segments, I maintain that regional representation requires expansion. Even considering current competitive struggles, North America deserves minimum Wild Card inclusion. Certain regions receive dual Wild Card opportunities while we possess zero additional pathways. Basic competitive fairness dictates we merit at minimum one Wild Card tournament entry.

— Which specific North American teams demonstrated Major-worthy performance but missed qualification?

— Quincy Crew unquestionably deserved participation. Their qualification campaign concluded narrowly unsuccessful. With Wild Card availability, Wildcard Gaming would present strong candidacy, alongside 4Zoomers, organizationally rebranded as Nouns.

— Your social media commentary described Group B participants as “sweaty nerds including myself”. What specific competitors prompted this characterization?

— This observation applied universally across the group stage competitors because we approached six-way tiebreaker scenarios. Every team faced intense pressure situations within an exceptionally balanced competitive group. Pre-tournament analysis suggested Group A contained the most formidable opponents. Actual competitive experience revealed Group B’s surprising depth. Our upper bracket performance demonstrated the group’s competitive legitimacy through multiple victory sequences.

— How significantly did the absence of Chinese competitive organizations impact the Major’s competitive integrity?

— We experienced substantial disappointment regarding their non-participation. I maintain profound respect for China’s competitive Dota ecosystem. LGD, Aster, RNG… These competitors demonstrate exceptional skill consistency and strategic stability. Chinese organizations consistently place two teams within TI’s top six for understandable competitive reasons. Their Major absence created strategic preparation deficiencies since I intended specific teammates to gain Chinese competitive exposure before The International.

— Certain community segments, particularly within Eastern European competitive circles, argue this Major featured subpar competitive quality. How would you respond to these critical assessments?

— My response would emphasize competitive meritocracy: “Establish your own organization, qualify through competitive circuits, achieve tournament victory, then voice such opinions”. Eastern European competitors demonstrated inconsistent performance throughout this event. Overconfidence combined with dismissive competitive assessments frequently generates negative consequences. For instance, Yatoro previously commented that “China’s absence might create boring tournament dynamics”. His subsequent elimination suggests the competition maintained adequate engagement levels.

Yatoro about opponents at the Major: “BOOM? Who are they? They don’t seem like great players to me. I feel they are mediocre”

— You and Ceb represent the tournament’s most experienced competitors. How does competing alongside predominantly younger players influence your competitive approach and mindset?

— We frequently share humorous observations about our veteran status, joking “Observe these two gaming elders competing here”. We maintain perspective through self-deprecating commentary like “We’re only the oldest competitors this Major because Puppey remained in Europe. His participation would have redistributed age-related attention. Ceb demonstrates impressive physical conditioning through nutritional discipline and training regimens, and I implement similar health protocols. At 30 years old, I maintain physical and mental vitality comparable to mid-twenties competitors.

— Heroes of Newerth concludes operations in June, representing a significant chapter in your professional development. Many community members petition Valve for hero transfers between games. Which specific HoN characters do you particularly miss, and which would you prioritize for Dota integration?

— I particularly miss playing Chipper, Puppet Master, and Drunken Master. Integrating all three would create fascinating strategic diversity within current metagame dynamics.

— When will your career reach the appropriate milestone to resurrect your iconic “Get on my level, hoe” proclamation? Does Major tournament victory provide sufficient accomplishment justification?

— The appropriate moment arrives following International championship victory. Remember, we compete primarily for enjoyment and professional fulfillment. LAN tournaments provide valuable experience, but DPC point accumulation remains our primary Major objective. The International represents our ultimate competitive priority. Current Major performance doesn’t justify such bold declarations since it represents merely one tournament achievement.

33: “I have good ideas but when it comes to the execution… That sometimes can be my weakness”
The only favorite team left at the Major.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » “I can’t tell people ‘Get on my level’ yet”. MoonMeander on NA state, being 30, and adding heroes from HoN to DotaExclusive TSM.FTX captain MoonMeander shares insights on team dynamics, NA region struggles, and veteran leadership in Dota 2 esports