Quincy Crew continued their dominant run in the 2021-2022 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) Summer regional league for North America, sweeping Nouns Esports on Thursday (30 June).
The Crew currently have a league-leading 5-0 series score, with a perfect 10-0 game score, with Eastern Europe’s Team Spirit the only other team in the DPC that hasn’t dropped a game with their 6-0 record.
After winning their latest series, Quincy Crew midlaner Quinn “Quinn” Callahan shared how he prepared for every match, his thoughts on attending the Major, as well as what the team looks for in a coach in the post-match interview.
Here’s what he had to say.
Taking a different approach
Quinn has always been one of the more vocal midlaners in Dota 2, regularly joining in on the team drafts and shot-calling during the game.
For this Tour, though, Quinn is adopting a different style to work with his team’s revamped roster.
After parting ways with Milan “MiLAN” Kozomara and Remus “ponlo” Goh Zhi Xian following the Spring Tour, former members Rodrigo “LESLÃO” Santos and Arif “MSS” Anwar returned to Quincy Crew alongside new recruit Adrian “Fata” Trinks, one of the most experienced captains from Western Europe.
Quincy Crew’s revamped roster quickly paid dividends, as they sit in a comfortable position to secure a spot in the Summer Major in Arlington, Texas in August.
As one of the longest-tenured members of the squad, Quinn was quick to adapt to this new team environment.
“I am taking a different mental approach to this team compared to other teams in the past. I am historically a player who focuses a lot on the overall team gameplay, trying to reach towards an ideal,” said Quinn.
“I am taking a much different approach with this team and focusing more on myself.”
This new mental approach has served Quincy Crew well, as the team managed to defeat regional rivals TSM FTX, 2-0, an impressive feat considering TSM’s second-place finish at the ESL One Stockholm Major.
For Quinn, he believes that teams should focus on adapting to the game’s situation more instead of trying to force a perfect game every time.
“I think a lot of it is a mindset shift, from this is what should be done to this is what our players are good at. Because pushing for ideal is really hard, so I think it’s more about accepting how things are happening and playing towards each individual situation,” said Quinn.
Different teams have different approaches to official games. Some teams like to relax before a match while others spend time planning their drafts and analyzing their teams.
For Quincy Crew, the team likes to play at least one set before facing off their opponents of the day.
“We play pre-official scrim, get the jitters out and build cohesion for that individual day. I’ve dabbled with breathing exercises and meditation in the past. For whatever reason I haven’t stuck to it, maybe it’s cause I’m lazy,” said Quinn.
Early bad luck
Quincy Crew has had some bad luck this DPC Tour. They were guaranteed a spot in the first Major of the 2021-2022 DPC Season but due to the Spring Major getting canceled, the team missed out.
While Quincy Crew look secure in their spot for the Arlington Major, Quinn says they are still focused on doing their best in the remaining matches.
“It’s always good to be on your toes. The Cut pushed Nouns to some pretty close series, they almost lost. So taking The Cut not seriously would be a mistake. [Evil Geniuses (EG)] is obviously EG but to be honest it’s very likely whether we go to the Majors is determined by the time we play EG. Points are also really relevant to us, getting the number one seed is important,” said Quinn.
After the departure of Maurice “KheZu” Gutmann from the team, Quincy Crew became one of the few teams that play without a coach.
Quinn acknowledged that while coaches can be helpful, there are also risks attached to having one.
“I think coaching is a really tricky situation because there is a lot to be said about synergy and fit between the coach and the players,” said Quinn. “So you want someone who you really respect their ideas and get along with well, rather than try to take too much of the driver’s seat. So it’s just something we need to be really careful about.”
Due to several roster changes, Quincy Crew only have 380 DPC points so far and need to secure their place at the next Major if they want a shot at attending The International 11 through direct invites.
Quincy Crew’s next match, and arguably their most important of this Tour, will be against The Cut on 5 July.
Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.
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