Win.gg
Dota 2
Team Secret coach Heen discusses TNC after Kuku incident, TI9 trip Team Secret coach Heen discusses TNC after Kuku incident, TI9 trip
Team Secret’s new coach opened up on his time with TNC Predator. In an interview with Daniel Offen at
Position Six Podcast, coach Lee “Heen” Seung Gon discussed the team’s potential and its ill-fated performance at The International 2019.
One of the biggest storylines heading into TI9 was whether Carlo “Kuku” Palad would be able to compete at the event due to his use of racist language against Chinese players during a pub game. He made the trip without issue, but the crowd in Shanghai held a grudge towards the team.
Heen stated this dragged down the team’s morale and TNC underperformed during the tournament as a result. He went on to state the players avoided face-to-face discussion about their future.
“Back in China, it was really hard to say anything to cheer them up,” Heen said in the interview.
When Heen found out that Kuku and Nico “eyyou” Barcelon were taking a break, he decided to leave the team as well and revealed that he felt attached to the original roster. He did have a hand in the current version of the team though, stating that he introduced TNC to current captain Park “March” Tae-won.
Heen’s tenure with TNC could have actually been a bit longer, as he could have stayed on as coach for the first few live events of the season. Instead he opted to take some time off, which eventually led him to Team Secret.
Heen discusses Team Secret’s road in new Dota Pro Circuit season
Team Secret has been dominant over the last two Dota Pro Circuit seasons, winning three majors and two minors. The team was actually one of the favorites to win TI9 but instead fell in fourth place. Heen will be looking to help Secret finally realize its goal of winning The International, and the new roster has a good shot of doing so.
Team Secret’s captain, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, is regarded as one of the best drafters and captains in Dota 2 history and actually has a lengthy history with Heen’s longtime constituent, Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi. The two played together with Natus Vincere and were founding members of Team Secret before KuroKy split off to eventually join Team Liquid. According to Heen, the two have many similarities as a result.
That’s good for Heen as he is working with a similar-feeling lineup to the Team Liquid roster he coached to the championship at The International 2017. But of course, Puppey does have a bit of a negative reputation, something Heen jokingly acknowledged.
“We haven’t really had deep discussions. I just hope that I remain physically unharmed even if I fucked up,” Heen playfully told fans.
Read Also
Dota 2
Team Spirit wins TI15 to lift a record third Aegis of Champions
Michael Hassall
Team Spirit has defeated TEAM VISION in the grand finals of TI15, The International 2025. In a full five-game series on Aug. 23, Spirit pulled out all the stops and narrowly defeated an incredible VISION team in a back-and-forth series in Shanghai, China. With Spirit’s victory, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov become the first ever three-time TI champions, and Team Spirit becomes the first ever organization to lift ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Finals Preview and Predictions
Michael Hassall
The International 2026, TI15, has reached its final day, and just three teams remain in the fight for the Aegis of Champions. With the lower bracket final and Grand Final still to come, everything comes down to one final day of Dota 2 action. The lower bracket finalists will first battle for the right to reach the main event’s final series, while the winner will advance to face the upper-bracket ...
Dota 2
TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title
Michael Hassall
The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Dota 2
Team Spirit vs Iron Wing at TI15: Best Betting Predictions and Picks
Owen Harsono
The playoffs for TI15 starts off with an absolute banger of a match between Team Spirit and Iron Wing, and the betting odds could not be any closer. Here are our TI15 Team Spirit vs Iron Wing predictions. Tournament: The International 2026 (TI15) Stage: Playoffs Game: Dota 2 Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: This is the closest series we have at the first round of the TI15 playoffs, as ...
Dota 2
Who Will Win The International 2026 (TI15)? These Are Our Best Picks
Owen Harsono
The TI15 group stage is over, and we’re down to the top eight teams. We’ve now got a pretty good idea of which teams are the favorites heading into the playoffs based on recent performance and season results, so here are the teams we think have the best shot at winning TI15 and claiming some of The International prize pool. The TI15 group stage saw eight teams exit the event ...
