If you are a pro player, your work is not rewarded until you win

During a joint Twitch stream with Jean 'Gorgc' Stefanovski, Arthur 'Arteezy' Babayev discussed the challenges of being a streamer versus a professional Dota 2 player.

According to Babayev, he believes being a streamer is more challenging. He explained that streaming can be difficult due to the temptation to engage in activities that don’t align with one’s true self for extended periods. For him, it became tough to stay focused and serious while streaming, especially when aiming for a high rank.

He mentioned that streaming had its ups and downs. As a professional player, however, the work isn’t rewarding unless you win. There’s no dopamine boost if you’re not succeeding. The grind of scrimming for weeks, finishing last at The International, and knowing that the same effort is required for the next 300 days, makes it all the more challenging. No salary or prize money can make up for that lack of immediate reward.

Reflecting on the past, if he had to choose between streaming and a pro career, he would have chosen to win in Dota 2 and secure a TI victory. Back then, he didn’t enjoy streaming and found it frustrating when games were ruined by stream snipers. This negatively impacted his desire to stream. He played to practice and thought he could balance both streaming and practice, but found that his games were often sabotaged by multiple opponents and a disruptive chat, which demotivated him.

On July 23, the Canadian player announced a break from his professional career, stating that he plans to move to Europe to continue improving and re-engage with the competitive scene.