What do we know about Mind Games? The team is owned by the Russian rapper and got serious visa issues before the Major

Mind Games emerged as the final qualifying team for the prestigious Stockholm Major, achieving this milestone through a hard-fought 2:1 victory over CIS Rejects. Their third-place finish in the EEU DPC season marked a significant achievement for this relatively unknown organization. Many esports enthusiasts remain unfamiliar with Mind Games’ background, making this exploration particularly valuable for understanding the team’s unique position in competitive Dota 2.

Mind Games operates under the ownership of Russian rapper IAMMIND, who entered the esports arena following TI10. As an avid Dota 2 enthusiast, his initial strategy involved acquiring an established roster within the Eastern European region. According to IAMMIND’s statements, initial negotiations with RAMZES and the CIS Rejects organization ultimately fell through when players declined his acquisition proposal. This led to the subsequent purchase of the Team Unique roster, which included prominent players like fn and CeMaTheSlayeR.

My journey with Dota began at age 14, and I’ve developed strong conviction about its business potential. The CIS region shows tremendous growth prospects for esports development. We witnessed this momentum when even President Putin extended congratulations to Team Spirit following their TI victory.

<…>

I collaborate with experienced esports professionals who prefer remaining anonymous currently. I recognize the importance of expertise rather than attempting everything independently with naive enthusiasm. Knowledgeable individuals approached me with this opportunity, and now we’re building a business that’s generating significant attention.

<…> Mira commented that having a rapper as CEO represents our team’s primary weakness. However, I consider this our distinctive advantage. The esports community is actively discussing our organization. Had Winstrike acquired Team Unique instead, the transaction would have passed unnoticed. The current level of attention exceeded my initial expectations considerably!

Following the Dota 2 roster acquisition, IAMMIND diversified the organization’s portfolio by purchasing the Free Fire competitive team Sbornaya Chechni (Chechen National Team). This squad previously achieved second place at the Free Fire World Championship 2019 and secured victory in the EMEA Free Fire Continental Series, demonstrating the owner’s commitment to building a multi-game esports organization. This strategic expansion reflects growing trends in esports where organizations maintain rosters across multiple titles to build brand recognition and financial stability.

IAMMIND maintains relatively modest popularity within the Russian music scene, with approximately 1 million listeners on VK (Russia’s predominant social media platform featuring integrated music services). However, he gained notoriety through controversial publicity stunts, including an incident where he attached three women to a carriage and paraded them around St. Petersburg’s Palace Square.

My artistic expressions represent metaphorical commentary on digital era enslavement.

IAMMIND demonstrates genuine passion for Dota 2 as both spectator and participant, though his current Matchmaking Rating (MMR) remains at approximately 4,000. During a live stream shortly after acquiring the Unique roster, he expressed intentions to leverage his professional players as coaching resources for personal skill improvement.

“I either kick a player or quit myself.” Team Spirit’s manager Korb3n on his straightforward work style
The man who built the champions team.

Maintaining a consistent schedule of three matchmaking games daily with a 55% win rate could potentially increase my MMR by 4,000 within twelve months. Consequently, achieving 8,000 MMR appears realistically attainable through dedicated practice. Naturally, professional guidance would significantly accelerate this learning process.

I plan to invite team members to provide instructional Dota 2 sessions during my streams. One player will assume coaching responsibilities, offering real-time explanations and strategic insights. The upcoming year represents my dedicated focus on Dota mastery, motivated by team ownership.

The Russian Dota 2 community expressed skepticism regarding a relatively unknown rapper’s ability to finance an esports organization, leading to rapid rumor proliferation. Speculation suggested IAMMIND benefited from affluent parental support with alleged connections to Kremlin operations. The rapper firmly denied these allegations.

Financial necessity doesn’t drive my decisions. I maintain professional employment generating substantial income. My streaming activities focus on enjoyment rather than monetary gain.

My lifestyle centers around Dota due to current freelance work arrangements. I specialize in arbitrage services [involving advertising optimization and traffic management systems]. I prefer relaxing at home while engaging in Dota gameplay.

<…>

Rap represents a creative outlet rather than primary occupation. I pursue music for personal fulfillment. Working primarily with computers revealed the importance of creative expression, leading to musical exploration. I discovered that inspiration manifests voluntarily rather than following predictable patterns.

Mind Games faced visa issues: the club might miss Major

Immediately following their qualification victory, Mind Games support player Semion “CeMaTheSlayeR” Krivulya indicated uncertainty regarding the team’s ability to travel to Sweden for the tournament.

I cannot confirm our Sweden travel capabilities. Border situations present considerable complexity. <…> [Regarding visa complications?] I lack specific information. We haven’t initiated application procedures yet. Ukrainian players typically don’t require visas, to my understanding. However, our roster includes two Belarusian competitors and one Russian representative [Dinozavrik].

The team’s coaching staff member ArsZeeqq provided additional concerning details. The primary issue involves Mind Games carry player Timur “Dinozavrik” Mavrin lacking an international passport entirely. Although limited time remains for passport acquisition and visa processing, the feasibility appears highly questionable.

Dinozavrik’s situation presents extreme complications since he doesn’t possess basic international travel documentation. This represents an unprecedented organizational oversight!

Expedited processing could theoretically resolve this within days. He plans to travel to Moscow attempting rapid resolution through personal connections.

<…>

Based on available information, CeMaTheSlayeR and Bignum might obtain sports visas. They potentially could depart Ukraine. However, I cannot guarantee this outcome.

Additionally, I’ve received indications that certain players may compete remotely. Participants who successfully travel will compete on-site, while unavailable members would participate online. However, confirmation remains lacking.

The Stockholm Major represents a landmark Dota 2 event scheduled for May 12-22, marking the return of LAN competitions with live audience participation after an extended hiatus. Chinese organizations will be absent from the tournament due to stringent COVID-19 restrictions within their nation. These teams will participate in a Regional Final competition occurring May 6-8.

Investigation: how top rank players earn on betting via ruining games for popular streamers
How do Sensibility and his friends ruin games for money.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides » What do we know about Mind Games? The team is owned by the Russian rapper and got serious visa issues before the Major Exploring Mind Games: Russian rapper-owned Dota 2 team's visa crisis and controversial origins