Ukrainian analyst and commentator Artur “Totus” Shevchenko shared his thoughts on the state of the regional scene in an interview with the Telegram channel LATERAL Dota 2. He views casting as a creative pursuit rather than standard work, despite the emotional exhaustion it brings after intense series.

“Well, if briefly, I like everything. It is hard to call it work, it is a creative activity, I would characterize it like that,” Totus said.

Totus pointed out that viewership in Ukraine has dropped since the full-scale war, causing the local scene to gradually stagnate. He criticized developer Valve for insufficient attention to the game, poor patches, and a lack of ecosystem support.

“The entry threshold is high, and the developers’ desire to deal with the game is low,” Totus noted.

Discussing the competitive landscape, he ranked the top Ukrainian teams in strength order: Natus Vincere, Lynx, PuckChamp, and Balu. Lynx is closest to reaching major tournaments but consistently misses that extra bit of results. He also highlighted young academy player Igris as a promising product of the Lynx organization. While supporting both Natus Vincere and Lynx equally, he prefers the management and communication style of Lynx.

Finally, he pointed to unpredictable match dynamics, citing XG versus Natus Vincere at PGL Wallachia Season 9 where zeal picked Enigma.