Streamer and former esports player Igor "ILTW" Filatov discussed his professional Dota 2 career in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net.
The esports athlete highlighted his desire to reach The International but noted that he always felt something was missing:
When I was competing, I really wanted to make it to The International since my time with ESPADA. However, I often lacked self-confidence, skill, determination, and a little bit of luck. Now, I no longer have that interest in Dota 2; it doesn’t matter to me anymore. I think I’m far from returning to a professional level. To get back there, you need to dedicate a great deal of time to Dota 2, constantly think about it, watch replays, and not stream.
Filatov also acknowledged that there were tense relationships between the players ih Nigma Galaxy, and he turned down several offers from other teams afterward:
It wasn’t that I left Nigma Galaxy on my own – the situation had become too intense. I had burned out from the game, plus there was a series of life issues that led to this point. I simply didn’t want to play anymore, so I stood up and told my manager to buy me a ticket. I think I would have been sacked anyway, so it didn’t matter. I don't regret it at all. I should have left earlier. The situation with Nigma Galaxy really broke me. I had terrible depression, and I really didn’t care about what was happening in Dota 2 or in life. I turned down offers from OG before Yuragi, and I really regret it now, and also from the current Cloud9 roster. I also received offers from some average American teams.
ILTW began his career in 2015. Over the years, he has won over $304,000 in tournament prize money and played for teams such as Team Spirit, ESPADA, OG, and Virtus.pro. His last team was Nigma Galaxy, from which he departed in May 2022 and has not returned to the professional scene since.