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With The International 13 being only a few days away we had a chat with Admir "lizZard" Salkanović. The renowned commentator and analyst will be bringing us live action from TI once again.

Not everybody has time to follow Dota 2 esports thoroughly and watch every tournament. Or maybe you are not as interested as you once were, which is okay. We caught up with lizzZard to get you ready and prepared for the tournament starting on the 4th of September.

The International is the most special time in the whole Dota 2 calendar. This means that even the most casual of fans tune in to see what has been going on with the game since last October. How do you think the meta and gameplay have changed, and what should viewers watch for in 2024?

_"Nothing like before, I am not even sure where to begin. You, of course, know all about Aghanim's Scepter, talents, and shards, but do you know what a FACET is?! Do you know what an innate ability is!? For a Slav that only watches reality TV and plays Dota, those were some fancy new words.

Let me explain: every hero gets 2 or even 3 facets (paths you get to choose for him, he has no say in the matter) and a single innate ability that he has to live with (like you with your Herald rank).

These facets and innate abilities completely changed the game at the beginning, made everything look fresh. (For a few weeks at least before all the aui-esq nerds figured out exactly which facet you have to choose every game or you get flamed to death). For example, Dragon Knight, the Herald champion, has fire, venom, and ice facets or something—you basically choose which color your drake is gonna be. Pretty good, just watch what sort of dragon girls he goes for. They ain’t like us.

Alchemist can finally fulfill his role of being a support by getting 250g at the start—giving his mid a bottle or also getting flamed. Basically, another reason to get flamed from the beginning and have that wonderful choice paralysis kick in before the game has even started. All the things we love this game for. All jokes aside, it added some new variety to the game. I personally love it."_

How does the hype surrounding this year's TI compare to last year and previous years? And how would you assess the overall popularity of Dota 2 at this moment?

"Hype is unfortunately still there but to a much lesser extent. I hope we get the hype TI back for next year. But the scene at least looks much healthier than before, more tournaments and TOs. At least on the surface, it seems that way. Popularity is still high, all the players that used to argue now have actual children to take care of, so they are more chill in the game + they bring up the viewership as it’s hard to play while holding a baby in your arms. Just look at Shopify/EG in the past. Not easy."

Every TI seems to have its own storyline and standout teams. Which surprise teams or players do you think could make a big impact at TI 2024, and why?

"Falcons are all the rage right now so just look out for them and for Spirit, it will be interesting to see if they can recreate their usual crazy TI run. Their year was forgettable, besides a nice Walachia win, nothing stood out. Same as in the last 2 years though."

A few legendary names appear at TI year after year, making them easily recognizable to fans. Are there any new or lesser-known players you think could make a name for themselves at TI 2024?

_"We have a lower and lower amount of players that have been around forever at TIs. Time waits for no man or something like that. We are all but dust in the wind my friend, even if we are 2 meters carved straight out of a mountain like Puppey. Sadly a TI without him making an appearance."

Finally, The International is known for its unforgettable moments. What kind of moment are you hoping to see this year, and what could make TI 2024 stand out in the event's history?_

"I hope we will get great Dota with teams fighting it out to the bitter end. No 3-0 finals. Generic answer but I hope the rest of the interview wasn’t. I’d love to see a new region winning by the way. I know it’s impossible for NA but SA or China/SEA would be hype as hell."

Valve surprised us with another announcement (as they usually do). There will be no sponsors in-game (base logos, tags in player names, etc.). What is your opinion on that?

"Inflation has made us all poorer, no doubt about it. But hey, good on Valve for at least making it a bit tougher for us to figure out the quickest way to lose our €!"

Thank you lizZard and we wish you all the best at RoyalArena in Copenhagen! The International has always been a celebration of Dota 2 and we’re sure that the upcoming one won’t be nothing less.