KuroKy reveals how N0tail and OG ‘stole’ their playstyle to become back-to-back Dota 2 TI champions

Dota 2 legend Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi has never been one to hold back his thoughts, especially when it comes to strategies and how he wants to play the game. During a recent interview panel with Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, and KuroKy at PGL Wallachia Season 5, the legends opened up about some interesting details for TI8 and TI9.

According to N0tail, the legendary back-to-back TI-winning captain of OG, their success was made possible because of the then Dota 2 roster of Team Liquid. On top of luck and skill, one of the most important tools N0tail and the rest of OG had under their belt was Team Liquid’s playstyle, but with their own twists.

OG took Liquid’s playbook and made it better

Chatting alongside Puppey and N0tail during the broadcast, KuroKy looked back at Liquid’s peak and how OG rose to dominance shortly after. According to the Dota 2 veteran, OG didn’t just come up with something new—they built off what Liquid had already created.

“What OG did was they literally stole our stuff and took it to the next level,” KuroKy said with a smile before further adding, “They made an evolution of it because we were stagnating slowly.”

KuroKy went on to speak fondly about how OG took Liquid’s fast-paced playstyle and turned it into something a lot more powerful. “We saw that at TI9, that’s where they [OG] finished with that process,” he said.

KuroKy and Liquid had made their mark with a TI7 win, but the year that followed saw them finishing fourth. Meanwhile, OG, under the leadership of N0tail, adapted Liquid’s gameplay approach and added their own flair, turning it into a high-tempo, flexible style that would carry them through back-to-back Internationals.

While it is easy to make accusations about other teams stealing your strategy, especially in a highly competitive environment, KuroKy made it clear that what OG did was more of an innovation than an imitation. OG not only understood why Liquid was successful, but they also adapted the playstyle to suit their own in-game mentality. And the result? OG are still the only team in the history of Dota 2 esports to have won back-to-back TI championships.

This conversation between the legends of the game, who have won everything the esports ecosystem has to offer, goes to show that at the highest level of Dota 2, success often depends on learning, adapting, and building off your rivals’ brilliance.