TorontoTokyo at BLAST Slam 4: “It’s always fun to play against your old teammates”

Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek is a consummate Dota 2 professional, and a former International champion who’s still hungry for more in the competitive scene. A man of few words who prefers to let his play do the talking, I got a chance to sit down with him ahead of the playoffs at BLAST Slam 4 in Singapore.

Patrick Bonifacio: It’s been a while since you last played mid, the role in which you made a name for yourself when you won The International 2021 (TI10) with Team Spirit. You’ve since gone on to play support for BB Team, and now you’re the offlaner for Aurora Gaming.

How has that experience been for you, changing positions as much as you have?

TORONTOTOKYO: For me, it’s been fun because I always enjoy playing new heroes. So whenever I change roles, it also makes playing pubs with new heroes more enjoyable.

Patrick: What would you say is the most important part of adjusting to a new role when you switch to it?

TORONTOTOKYO: You just have to play a lot of pubs [on your new role] and practice a lot.

So you’ve been with Aurora Gaming for almost 10 months now. In your opinion, what is something unique that this team brings to the table compared to your previous ones?

TORONTOTOKYO: I think they’re just as good an organization as all the others. I don’t think there’s really anything new.

Patrick: Okay, fair enough. You guys are actually a team that I’ve been following closely since you first formed in February of this year. I personally thought Aurora had some serious potential last season. Unfortunately, you and the rest of the team didn’t get the chance to go top 3 at a LAN last year.

What would you say is the thing that you as a team need to improve on in order to take that next step?

TORONTOTOKYO: Just be better.

Patrick: Any specific areas you can think of?

TORONTOTOKYO: No, just be better.

Patrick: Okay, so let’s talk about Mikoto and Oli. They’re the newest members of the squad after the original Aurora team left Southeast Asia. And unlike kiyotaka and panto, they’re not from Eastern Europe.

How has the experience been building chemistry with them? Are there communication issues like with the language barrier?

TORONTOTOKYO: I don’t think there is a big problem there, because we can all speak English well enough. So I think it’s fine.

Patrick: Your former teammates Yatoro and Collapse are also here in Singapore. You and Mira have already encountered them a few times now while being on different teams.

What’s it like playing against your old teammates, given your history?

TORONTOTOKYO: Yeah, it’s always fun to play against your old teammates. You can always tip them.

Patrick: Come to think of it, Aurora and Spirit are on opposite sides of the bracket here at BLAST Slam 4.

How do you feel about your chances of meeting them in the grand finals?

TORONTOTOKYO: I think we have a chance.

Patrick: Yeah, I’d love to see that. And speaking of your history together, it’s now been four years since you shocked the Dota world by winning TI10.

Looking back now, what was it that allowed you and the rest of Spirit to beat such a strong team like PSG.LGD?

TORONTOTOKYO: I would say that everyone was skilled enough, and we had good chemistry and a great team spirit.

Patrick: Great team spirit, indeed.

What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned from winning TI10 with regards to your career?

TORONTOTOKYO: Just be a good team in order to win tournaments. Like, be friends.

Patrick: Honestly, yeah, that’s all you need.