Aui_2000: “We (Arkosh Gaming) tried to convince the TI10 admin Canus Vulpus was… dead.”

Arkosh Gaming is a team unlike any other in the Dota 2 world. It is a team of anonymous demons who are trying to compete at the highest echelons of competitive Dota. Only one thing is holding them back, their actual skill. Fortunately, the sudden disappearance of G.O.A.T ahead of the TI10 Qualifiers allowed for a mere human to enter their ranks.

TI5 winner Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling - actual mortal - competed for Arkosh Gaming in the TI10 NA qualifiers where they placed top 6. We asked the Canadian Dota player and analyst of the trauma competing for them, and learned what tactics they employed to achieve success.

Malystryx: Canus Vulpus went MIA after a new ritual took him to another plane of existence. How did you guys handle his disappearance.

Aui_2000: "I have a good story about Canus Vulpus. So Canus Vulpus was missing from our TI qualifiers, and we’re all sitting wondering where he was. We’re reading the rules and it said for TI qualifiers you have to play with the same five players. Unless there is basically an emergency and it comes down to admin discretion. 

It’s not like DPC where you have stand-ins, it has to be the same five players on the same accounts. So we tried to convince the TI10 admin that Canus Vulpus was… dead. (laughs) Because then they’ll let us play with a stand-in. We told the admin, Canus Vulpus visited a different plane often, and we were afraid he was dead as we couldn’t reach him. And the admin would not believe us! (Malystryx: unbelievable) 

I mean we weren’t serious with it. If the admin had actually let us play with a stand-in, we would probably have forfeited because obviously we’re lying, but we just thought it would be really funny. We tried to gaslight the admin into thinking one of our players is dead. (laughs) I don’t think we would have played, they weren’t actually going to break the rules. "

Malystryx: What appealed to you about representing a team that favours Satanic worship, what is good about Arkosh Gaming?

Aui_2000: "I didn’t want to play and take anything seriously, but one of the Arkosh members repeatedly said he was going to hire assassins to kill me or the people around me. So I had to play, it was very serious and I was worried. He might have included hobos wielding knives as part of his plan."

Malystryx: Any vials of blood sent to your home as a threat?

Aui_2000: "No, they’re not very organised so I don’t think they could have done that. Organised or competent, not enough of either. (laughs)"

Malystryx: Which Demon’s powers impressed you the most?

Aui_2000: "I don’t think any of the demons are going ham in Dota, but I honestly think they’re all pretty good players. Competitive Dota is just a completely different beast. "

Malystryx: Which Demon is so void of skill that it would be better if they did not awaken?

Aui_2000: "Gremlo. (laughs) He is void of skill and should not awaken. He had a 3.0 KDA. "

Malystryx: I imagine the team environment is a bit different, playing with demons. How did you communicate with your new team-mates? Was it mostly growls or high-pitched screeches from Slacks?

Aui_2000: "If we had Slacks in our comms during the qualifiers we probably would have won. I watched his stream and he recently hit Immortal. It’s clearly not because of his play, so it has to be due to how he communicates. It just brings everyone in his comms to the next level. (Malystryx: Like this?)

Yes, it is that kind of communication you really want going on during your TI Qualifier environment. Like you need to feel that passion that comes from most demons. God we all aspire to talk like Slacks in our communications. "

Malystryx: A pity Slacks wasn’t in the comms

Aui_2000: "Yea, I think it might have been because we gaslighted him into thinking Culpus Vulpus was dead. But he was very, very assertive that we are not allowed to have more people in our teams on DIscord.

I mean Canus Vulpus came back to life. It was a miracle when he showed up. We had to tell the admin that miracles happen. He’s a Demon we forgot, he cannot be killed. What would have killed a mortal man did nothing to Canus Vulpus. Living Legend. "

Malystryx:  Arkosh Gaming is obviously a very professional team. What preparations did you make to ensure you match their level of professionalism?

Aui_2000: "This was very hard. In order to match their levels of professionalism, I had to cast the previous two series and then show up to the game without ever checking our enemy’s DOTABuff. Just hope for the best. And then you know, then we’re all sort of on a more level playing field."

Malystryx:   You had one game on Lion, where you only secured 13 kills. Do you regret how poorly you played that game? 

Aui_2000: "Yes, I think there was a point in that game where I actually gave a kill to someone. That was not good, because in the demonic scriptures, it’s every demon for himself. This tournament I didn’t draft but would tell our demonic drafter 5’s I thought were good, and I would just say random heroes and ended up playing them. I think I played nine different heroes, it was really fun.

I said ‘I think Kunkka five is really good here’ and our demonic drafter replied that he wasn’t sure, but then he picked it for me and we just lost the game instantly. Good times."

Malystryx: Were you, at any point, worried you might actually qualify?

Aui_2000: "The only way we could have qualified is if all the teams above us had a spontaneous heart attack and an unfortunate premature death. We had already tried and failed to gaslight the admin into thinking Canus Vulpus was dead. Because of that the admin was on the lookout and wouldn’t believe anyone else. That was the only path to TI. We tried, but it didn’t work. (laughs)"

Malystryx: You were unceremoniously kicked from Arkosh, how did you celebrate your freedom?

Aui_2000: "It was like being stuck in  prison, with no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel and then miraculously, you’re freed and everything is different now. The air is different, the water tastes different and food tastes better. It was like finishing a prison sentence. It’s a miracle."

Malystryx: It must have been better than winning TI5

Aui_2000: "Yea, I mean after TI5 as you can see from the footage, no-one on our team felt any emotion. So this was definitely happier than that time. "

Malystryx: Your journey with Arkosh Gaming, has for now ended. What were the highs and lows for you?

Aui_2000: "The high was definitely when we lost to Black & Yellow, and it was finally over with, into the kick, which was a sort of conjoined type of happiness. The low point was every time we actually won a series, and I knew that I would have to do more labour and play again. That was a huge struggle."

Editor's note: For those unaware Arkosh Gaming is a meme team and this interview was done in good spirits and for fun. There is no ill will between Aui_2000 or Arkosh Gaming, The Dota 2 scene just has a brilliantly warped sense of humour. - Malystryx