The International 2022 champion Leon 'Nine' Kirilin shared his journey from a gaming enthusiast to a successful esports player.
Kirilin explained that he had been playing Dota for most of his life, first discovering the game when he was around 7 or 8 years old. For him, gaming was a way to escape from a reality he found unbearable. Despite games initially drawing him away from life, they eventually helped him reconnect with it.
He left school after the 9th grade due to excessive truancy. Following this, his life was marked by gambling and depression, with no clear sense of direction. His home life was tumultuous, and his mother could not understand his reluctance to attend school.
In 2017, his old computer broke, worsening his depression. He spent about three weeks at home without playing games or engaging in activities, feeling isolated and contemplating ending his life. However, he realised that he did not want to go through with it.
He talked to his mother and requested a new computer with the condition that if he did not start earning money within six months and repay her, he would comply with her demands. Fortunately, she supported him, buying the computer despite their financial constraints. Kirilin then subsisted on cheap cereal and occasional toast. His situation improved, and he eventually joined his first professional team.
It is worth noting that Kirilin left Tundra Esports in November of the previous year and has been inactive since then.