SumaiL gives his take on neutral items and the state of Dota 2

Steven Rondina Published 14/01/2020

Syed “SumaiL” Hassan gave his take on the heavy changes to Dota 2 in recent months, and he likes them a lot.

The former Evil Geniuses mid laner opened up on neutral items in a recent stream and discussed why he enjoys Dota 2’s current state.

“I think this is by far the best gameplay patch, no joke,” SumaiL said on Twitch. “A lot of people dislike the neutral items and stuff, but RNG has always been involved in Dota. I don’t know why people don’t whine about some guy getting two double damage runes and winning mid lane, but they cry about neutral items. I feel like some dude getting Regen or DD runes when he’s losing the lane is way more broken than Ring of Aquila or Vambrace dropping.”

While some might be surprised to hear that, SumaiL’s take on neutral items isn’t really unique. WIN.gg was on hand for the WePlay! Bukovel Minor and asked a number of professional players about the current state of Dota 2 and how the Outlanders Update impacted the game. Responses were largely positive, with players honing in on how neutral items allowed them to be a bit greedier in terms of their play style and itemization.

That said, there’s no denying that the randomness surrounding neutral items can be a huge and potentially unfair factor in the outcome of games. Items like Vambrace are versatile and helpful on any given team or hero, while others like Illusionist’s Cape and Repair Kit can be wildly overpowered or borderline useless depending on team composition.

This doesn’t seem to worry pro players too much, as they seem to be completely content with the addition of neutral items. Casual players might be a different story, however.

SumaiL streaming and grinding while benched at EG

SumaiL streams are normally a rare treat for Dota 2 fans, but they’ve come a bit more frequently of late. This is likely due to the fact that he currently finds himself on the sidelines of professional scene.

Following The International 2019, SumaiL was benched alongside Gustav “s4” Magnusson. The pair were replaced, with the current Evil Geniuses roster standing as follows:

Artour “Arteezy” Babaev
Abed Azel L. Yusop
Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev
Andreas Franck “Cr1t-” Nielsen
Tal “Fly” Aizik

Initially, it seemed like he was going to have a short stay on Evil Geniuses’ bench. He played alongside the Quincy Crew, who have since been sponsored by Chaos Esports Club, in the qualifiers for the MDL Chengdu Major.

Shortly thereafter, he was released from the team and returned to EG’s bench for vague reasons. This has garnered speculation from fans and prompted some criticism of Evil Geniuses.

With SumaiL’s competitive future uncertain and no hints of him being in talks with other teams, it is unclear when he might next pop up at a tournament. That’s quite disappointing for a player that currently stands atop the North American Dota 2 leaderboards.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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