EPT
When the progaming scene of Brood War was just beginning to wind down in 2010, it was only the beginning for Russian Protoss, Andrey "Dewalt" Belyaev. The auspicious beginnings of Dewalt were marked by his win in 2012 of Defiler Tour 40, the premier online Russian tournament. Since then, he continued to make headlines with the most tournament games played of any foreigner. With 20 Top 4 finishes in 2018 and 13 Top 4 finishes in 2019 already, he's become a tour de force in the foreign scene.
Unfortunately, he has yet to win a recent major tournament. But his hunger for success and work ethic have taken him to Korea to finally take a step into the upper echelon. Initially, he wanted to play in the ASL7 qualifiers but unfortunately missed the qualifier date by a few days. Not to be so easily deterred though, Dewalt stuck it out in Korea for a two month boot camp to learn from the best.
The first interview part of this interview was conducted shortly after Dewalt arrived in Korea. Because of the language barrier, Dewalt was not able to accurately express all of his thoughts in English, so we did a second interview shortly after in Russian to check up on him. At this point, Dewalt has already finished his two month stay in Korea, but it's quite clear that the Russian had an eye opening and instructive experience! Let's get to it!
Unfortunately, he has yet to win a recent major tournament. But his hunger for success and work ethic have taken him to Korea to finally take a step into the upper echelon. Initially, he wanted to play in the ASL7 qualifiers but unfortunately missed the qualifier date by a few days. Not to be so easily deterred though, Dewalt stuck it out in Korea for a two month boot camp to learn from the best.
The first interview part of this interview was conducted shortly after Dewalt arrived in Korea. Because of the language barrier, Dewalt was not able to accurately express all of his thoughts in English, so we did a second interview shortly after in Russian to check up on him. At this point, Dewalt has already finished his two month stay in Korea, but it's quite clear that the Russian had an eye opening and instructive experience! Let's get to it!
Hello Dewalt, and thank you for doing this interview. To begin, why don't you introduce yourself?
Hello everyone, my name is Andrei Belyaev. I am 24 years old and I am a StarCraft player from Russia.
Let's get right into your visit to Korea. How do you like Korea so far? Are there any parts of the culture or people that stand out to you?
Korea is an amazing country. So far I really like everything here except for the food. It is very unique, especially for people from Russia. In terms of people and culture, I have not yet identified any features, although I have not communicated in the real life closely with any Koreans.
Have you tried soju? How does it compare to alcohol in Russia?
I tried soju. The taste is very different from vodka in Russia. For me, soju tastes like bitter medicine.
What made you want to play StarCraft so much that you wanted to play in Korea?
I honestly do not know what makes me play StarCraft. I just like it, get pleasure from it. And when I realized that this could be profitable, I decided to go to Korea and try my hand here.
Have you learned anything from the Koreans?
Since I have not been able to communicate much with Koreans who know English, I haven’t learned anything special yet.
Tell me about the process of planning your move to Korea.
I began planning my trip to Korea even before the start of ASL6. Me and some other foreigners planned to get to the ASL6 qualifiers with the support of Afreeca, but this fell through. After that, I decided to go alone to ASL7, but since there were no exact qualifying dates...I analyzed the start of ASL3 and ASL5, thought that the qualifiers would be in late February or early March, and timed my stay in Korea according to that.
What is the next event in Korea that you’re playing in?
I have already agreed to participate in KCM Race Wars Challenger. I will try to do my best to play in the main KCM Race Wars event. Also, with the start of a new ladder season, a new season of KSL may begin. If this happens, I will definitely take part in the qualifiers.
What places have you been to in Korea?
Bongeunsa Temple, Korea National Museum, Racoon Cafe, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Lotte Tower, city hall, and the Trick Eye Museum.
Let's talk more about StarCraft now. What makes you different from other foreigners?
It is difficult to talk about yourself. I don’t even know. It may be that, unlike the majority of non-Koreans, I am a new school player. I learned to play on the video of the Korean pro-scene of 2009-2010. I do not have any specific example of the ideal player that I try to be like in the game. I try to learn specific things from different players. For example, I learn multitasking from Bisu, macromanagement from Best or JangBi, or micro control from Snow. And I'm trying to combine everything in my own gameplay.
I don't really know if this somehow makes me different from other foreigners, but it’s how I play.
I don't really know if this somehow makes me different from other foreigners, but it’s how I play.
How do you practice and prepare for certain people or a tournament?
I analyze the past games of my opponents and try to study and play as many games as possible on certain maps. I think maps is the most important thing.
What do you focus on when competing in tournaments? To be 1st place, get money, take it slow?
On different days, it’s different. But since StarCraft is a job for me now, my first thought is getting into the prizes, and of course I think about winning. I analyze who my opponents will be in the next round, think about the choice of maps, and potential strategies.
Where do you see StarCraft in the foreign scene five years from now? Do you think more foreigners like yourself and Cadenzie will come to Korea to play StarCraft?
I am not a prophet and I cannot think for 5 years ahead ^^. I heard that eonzerg is planning to go to Korea. But honestly, I live today and think first of all about myself. While StarCraft still brings me pleasure, I will play. I do not think about what others will do much.
Do you have any words for your friends or fans?
Let's leave this as the end, I'm not very good at these words (smiles)
Hello, Dewalt, thank you for doing another interview. After 2 long months in Korea, how do you feel being home in Russia?
I fell in love with Korea instantly—on the first day—and, to be honest, I didn’t want to return [home]. Returning after a clear and dry Korean weather to a dull country full of snow, mud, and terrible roads didn’t feel so great.
How did you treat your trip to Korea? Was it as a job, vacation, or something else?
The trip was a job. Since I couldn’t participate in the offline qualifiers, my goal was to maximize my skill and play as many games as possible in the short period of time. Because of that, I have not explored Seoul extensively...only the main attractions.
You're the second foreign StarCraft player to come to Korea after Cadenzie since 2012. Having to compete with the amateur and ex-pro scene, what sort of success were you expecting?
Of course I knew that I will not be able to play on the same level with ex-pros. My goal was and is to get closer to that level of play. The skill difference between Koreans and foreigners is huge, and this is due to the fact that the Korean players had regular trainings in the teamhouses.
I never played StarCraft professionally...it was always on the second or third priority in my life. Basically, that trip to Korea was a starting point for me to start playing this game seriously.
I never played StarCraft professionally...it was always on the second or third priority in my life. Basically, that trip to Korea was a starting point for me to start playing this game seriously.
Not many people take great risks to pursue their interests. Do you feel like a changed man after having taken such a risk? How do you feel being one of two foreigners in the last seven years to compete in Korea?
As a human, I haven’t changed. The only thing is that I had an opportunity to live in different country with their habits and traditions, and now the shortcomings of my country are more visible. I haven’t thought about second question to be honest. I don’t care much who is before or after me. My goal is to become the best foreigner player and qualify for one of the major tournaments in Korea: ASL or KSL. And, according to plan, I’m getting closer.
Do you feel like your skill has improved after Korea? Have you learned anything new?
It’s hard to say at the moment. StarCraft is a game where you don’t feel today’s training until later. Overall, I think yes, my skill has slightly improved. I haven’t learned anything new, but in games with ex-pros and amateurs, new mistakes or fairly obvious old ones can be observed.
Can you share what your practice regimen looked like on an average day?
Nothing special. I woke up, ate breakfast, worked out, and played ladder. Then lunch and a city walk, evening ladder with stream and sponsored matches, dinner, and sleep.
Every person experiences their skill and progress as a player growing stagnant or plateauing. How have you dealt with it?
I don’t think about that either. The main thing is the discipline. Even when it seems that the skill does not improve and you don’t want to strain and train seriously, you need to overcome yourself and continue to strive for the goal.
I completely agree with you. How would you describe the atmosphere in the ASL audience?
In terms of emotions, it’s fun. But attending two times were enough for me. In terms of gameplay, it’s better to watch on the stream since you can instantly take some notes regarding games.
The Korean community took notice of you and flooded your Twitch chat. What sponsored games have you played and against who?
Unfortunately, I had sponsored games only in the last few weeks of my time in Korea. I have played against Canata (SKT1), ByungSoo (Samsung KHAN), Nal_rA, Piano. Most games were against ByungSoo.
We saw Shine in your Twitch chat. Did he help with your training?
Yeah, I met him in real life. I have asked about some game moments, and we are also playing together in the “Jeez Weekly” tournament on Sundays.
Besides sponsored games, You played in a KCM Race Wars event. How did that go and who did you play?
It was awful, I was super nervous. In the first game, I lost to Cadenzie :D
What is one of the most culturally different or shocking parts of Korea compared to Russia?
Koreans are very calm about everything. There are some things which are commonplace and not very pleasant, such as sneezing without covering your mouth in public places and not holding back burps. Only those moments come to my mind right now.
And they don’t wear any hats when it’s really cold outside. Everytime without hats. I couldn’t do that.
And they don’t wear any hats when it’s really cold outside. Everytime without hats. I couldn’t do that.
Probably not to spoil their hairstyle.
Exactly what Shine said. And they all drink cold coffee. We don’t have that, generally.
What about food? You said in the previous interview that you don't really like the food in Korea. Is that still the case?
I like Korean food. When I mentioned that, I didn’t get to taste everything. Korean BBQ is wonderful. By the end of my trip, I got used to spicy food.
You mentioned visiting some places in Korea. Is it hard to communicate and get around without speaking Korean?
No, it’s pretty simple. Seoul has excellent infrastructure in terms of public transportation. Everything is clear and logical.
Alright, thank you very much for the interview, Dewalt! We wish you luck to qualify for the ASL and we are hoping to see you playing on the official stream. We’re rooting for you!
Thank you very much!
Dewalt streams regularly on Twitch! If you want to see one of the best Brood War players outside of Korea, tune in and support!
