Skiter: "I Don't Really Like When Viper, Razor Are Meta."

Skiter: "I Don't Really Like When Viper, Razor Are Meta."

Otomo

22 Feb, 2026, 04:41

|

Last updated: 22 Feb, 2026, 04:51

After a commanding performance in game one, followed by a clean 2-0 victory over Betboom, Team Falcons is looking like a strong contender in DreamLeague Season 28. There is still a long road ahead to qualify for playoffs, but a victory out of the gate puts the team in a solid spot.

After defeating Betboom, Falcon's carry Oliver “skiter” Lepko discussed his favorites heroes in Dota 2, the team's recent struggles, and how teams prioritize flex picks right now.


Skiter: "I love Lifestealer a lot"

Lifestealer Bonds of Madness
Truly a face only a mother (and Skiter) could love. (Credit: Valve)

Game two against Betboom saw Falcons pick up Lifestealer. A relatively ignored hero with only four showings so far. Despite being regularly passed over, the Falcon carry revealed his soft spot for N'aix.

"Lifestealer is one of my first heroes, that I learned a lot when I started becoming good in this game. So I love this hero a lot. When I played this game, I was so excited because there are so many cool things about this hero even though it might appear very simple. "

Falcons are the current bearers of the Aegis. After an impressive run at The International 2025.While they haven't underperformed post TI, they also haven't dominated the season. Skiter explained that is due to how long the squad has been together that small issues are cropping up for them.

"I think it's mostly because we've been playing with each other so long. It's natural some problems will surface. And it's all about dealing with them. And after TI we won Fissure. We got third in Blast, so I wouldn't think we did that bad. But we had a pretty bad DreamLeague last time and we are trying to get back to our good form. But it's mostly because we have played with each other so long and after TI most of our heroes got nerfed, so we had to reinvent ourselves. "

Skiter on flex picks: "I think people might take it too far with some heroes.""

Storm Spirit crushed it at ESL Kuala Lumpur Meta.
Wait, this guy got picked as a carry? (Credit: Valve)

Falcons has often been praised for their triple tanky core strategy. Emphasizing three highly durable cores and overwhelming the enemy by sheer force of attrition. Among their many favorite heroes for this strategy are Razor and Viper.

Other teams have taken notes, and tanky cores are on the rise. While this might look like a good thing for Falcons, Skiter explained it's anything but that.

"To be honest, I don't really like when these heroes are meta. Like Viper, Razor. A lot of heroes think it benefits us But it's the other way around. Everyone is looking at these heroes and they are always first phase ban. So we rarely get them. It's usually better when these heroes aren't in meta, because you can get them later in draft and teams won't really think about counters or not used to playing against them."

Another evolution in Dota 2 is a bigger focus on flexible heroes. Examples such as Windranger were often picked as either carries or midlaners. But this trend has extended to more unusual picks, such as Puck, Leshrac, and Storm Spirit.

Lepko explained why more and more teams are aiming for these flexible picks in the current meta,"Lot of people are prioritizing flexes. Flexing Void Spirit to carry, puck to carry. Because Dota has evolved so much, that people understand how to demolish heroes with counter pick. So giving you the most flexibility in the draft is most valuable. I think people might take it too far with some heroes."

You can catch Teams Falcons in the ongoing DreamLeague Season 28, One of the main events leading up to EWC 2026 coming later this year.

READ MORE: Kim Doinb Is Trying to Get Into Dota 2

Featured Image Source: Valve

Latest news

BLAST Slam VIII Will Bring Changes to the Series

BLAST Slam VIII Will Bring Changes to the Series

The BLAST Slam has established itself as one of the biggest tournaments in the Dota 2 professional circuit, and the eighth edition of the series will introduce several changes, including an expanded lineup and a new Group Stage format.
4 Jul
Eric Oliveira

Dota 2 Update: Fixing Dark Carnival

With the debut of a new event, Dota 2 also had a selection of bugs that needed fixing. If you have had any problems with Dark Carnival, take a look at what was fixed to check if you problem was solved.
2 Jul
Eric Oliveira

The International 2026: Regional Qualifier Results

After a long wait for the Open and Closed Regional Qualifiers to conclude, we finally know the nine teams that will join Valve’s direct invites at The International 2026.
28 Jun
Eric Oliveira

Esports Nations Cup 2026 Qualifiers Preview

The Esports Nations Cup 2026 Regional Qualifiers are about to start and we will take a look at the competition's format, schedule and participating countries fighting for a slot in the tournament that so far will still take place on November 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
27 Jun
Eric Oliveira

Tundra Esports Founder: “Maintaining a top-tier Dota 2 roster has become increasingly expensive."

Tundra Esports founder Maxim Demin spoke to Esports Insider in an interview and shed some light on the reasoning behind selling his organization's former top-tier Dota 2 roster to 1Win Team.
27 Jun
Eric Oliveira

Dark Carnival: The Long Wait Is Over

The Dota 2 community waited for months for a new event and now everyone can dedicate their time to a new event called the Dark Carnival. The event continues the story that started 2 years ago on Ringmaster's official teaser.
26 Jun
Eric Oliveira

New Study Finds 400 Million Gen Z Consumers Regularly Engage With Esports

The numbers are in, and they're hard to argue with. A new whitepaper from ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), Hero Esports, and Niko Partners titled The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend dropped today, and it paints a picture of an audience that is bigger, more engaged, and more commercially valuable than many brands still realize
25 Jun
Thales Costa

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match