Obvious talks about the EU Challenger Series, the current jungle meta and Team Dignitas EU

Dennis 'Obvious' Sorenson joined Team Dignitas EU when former jungler Brokenshard moved to the role of head coach. Since then the team has had dominating performances and returned to the EU Challenger Series as a favorite to qualify for the LCS. Their 2-0 win over Denial E-Sports this week further cemented their position as the top challenger series team.

We’re going to talk about requalifying for the EU Challenger series. You guys played mousesports, the games were pretty clean, we won 2-0. What kind of jungling style do you think you have in terms of planning ahead of time what you’re going to gank? A lot of the first game you camped for mid lane getting Sencux ahead, and then in the second game you spent a lot of time top lane, do you plan that in advance or do you just go wherever there’s an opportunity?

Obvious: I say I always head into the game with a plan, but the plan doesn’t always work out, or I will just see opportunities elsewhere and if I see an opportunity that is just better then camping the lane I was supposed to or just going the route I was supposed to then I will go for it, you go into the game with a plan.

 

You mostly just went for meta picks with your Gragas in one of the games, do you think that the current meta suits your playstyle or do you prefer more warrior/devourer/magus oriented metas as far as jungling items go.

Obvious: I think, I don’t really prefer a specific meta, no I like both metas. I really don’t mind.

 

Are there any jungle champions that aren’t meta right now that you would like to play or you would like to see get a buff?

Obvious: Volibear.

 

Even though he’s gotten some play in the LCS at the moment you still don’t think he’s that strong?

Obvious: He got play in the LCS? Oh yeah Diamond played him. That didn’t go so well. I have tried it myself and it is just not good.

He’s just not in the best place. How do you think you matchup against the other, in terms of just raw skill ignoring the teams around you, how do you think you matchup against the other European Challenger junglers.

Obvious: I mean I feel confident going into every matchup, as long as I get to play my game. I don’t think I should have any problems going into any of the CS games. In terms of raw mechanical skill, I’ve heard that the Denial Jungler Betongejock is supposed to be really good, but I haven’t played him, I’ve barely played him, I might have played him a few games. I heard he’s supposed to be really good so we’ll see when I play against him. That’s the only way to really measure how good a jungler is, to play against them in a real game, see how much pressure they put out.

 
Photo Credit: ESL/Kelly Kline

You just mentioned playing your own way, your own style, do you direct the team in games, do you do most of the shotcalling or are you just doing what you want with your own style and letting the team play around you?

Obvious: In the early game the jungler’s always going to have to be really vocal, and me and Sencux are the primary shotcallers right now, we do have me as the most descisive shot caller, but we’re trying to change it up so that Sencux has the last word, but we’re just going to have to see how that works.

 

So with you guys changing out the botlane before the end of last season, and then Brokenshard moved up to coaching, we got Froskurrin as an assistant coach, how do you think the team is mashing, because people are already saying you’re one of the strongest if not the strongest EU Challenger team right now, do you think you guys all kind of fell together, or was there a lot of work put into synergizing.

Obvious: I’d say that we mesh pretty well, some people much more than others, but Brokenshard is good at keeping it together so it doesn’t get to troll, and yet we had fun from the moment we started playing so there hasn’t really been a lot of problem meshing.

 

So you guys do well just because you’re all having fun together and enjoying the game?

Obvious: Well most of the time we are having fun unless we’re losing.

 

How do you feel about people talking about European Midlaners especially, and you’re working with Sencux, how do you think your synergy is, we saw you working really hard to get him ahead on Azir in the first game of the match against Mous.

Obvious: Yeah we have pretty good synergy I’d say. I’d say there is no mid jungle Synergy in the CS that is better than ours right now.

 

You think you guys have a good shot of making the LCS next split?

Obvious: Yeah definitley.

 

If you guys make it into the LCS do you think you’ll be able to stack up against the experienced junglers in the LCS?

Obvious: Uhh yeah, I think there are a few junglers in the LCS that I really respect, but if I matchup against them a few times I think I should be fine, and then for playing on stage in the LCS I should be able to reach that level.

 

You think since the team has a lot of younger guys some of them would get stage jitters from playing in the LCS?

Obvious: It’s likely but I mean the odds are I’d have to wait and see. I can’t tell.

 

Do you think thats one of the disadvantages, because you guys are pretty much all, yeah every person on the team hasn’t been up on the, in the LCS before, do you think that would be a potential cause for concern just because you don’t have any veteran players. Other than Brokenshard himself but he’s not up there with you he’s doing the coaching in the picks/bans. Do you think you could have the potential for some LAN jitters if you get up there. 

Obvious: I’d say for me, I’ve been in a lot of LANs and I went to the expansion tournament as well, and some big stages at Gamescon, and the EPS the German championship I also played there, those stages were pretty big, personally I don’t get LAN jitters any more, I play really confident at LAN. I feel confident that I can actually play better. As for my team I think sencux has been to a couple of LANs I don’t think he should be a problem either, Nisbeth was in the LCS so I don’t fear for him either, and the last two wonder and Kobbe it’s possible that they could have LAN jitters but you never know.

 

Cool, so you guys are confident that you can make it into the LCS and perform?

Obvious: I mean, even if we don’t get the autoqualify I’m confident we can match up well against some of the bottom LCS teams, so yeah.

 

Where do you think the other EU Challenger teams rank against you at the moment not counting yourselves, where do you think the rest rank, and then after that where do you guys are against them.

Obvious: I mean, its Reason, Mous, Denial, Gamers2, and Ex Nihilo, that are in the spot instead of ex CWA. I think Denial will be our top competitor. After that G2, and then the last 3 I don’t rate as highly. Although Reason gaming, I’ve underestimated before and sometimes they just show up. So I don’t want to say that they will end up a lesser team but as for now thats what I’m going to stick with, it’s going to be us, Denial, and Gamers2 top 3 and then the last 3 can be anywhere.

 

That’s your prediction for who will be playing in the promotion tournament and for who’s getting auto promoted?

Obvious: Yup.

 

Alright do you have any final remarks or shoutouts you’d like to make?

Obvious: Yeah, definitely shoutout to all the Team Dignitas sponsors and to our coaching staff, Brokenshard, Froskurrin, Raz and Double WotA.

 

Alright thank you and thanks everyone for watching/reading!