Puppey reflects on past toxicity with MidOne and communication issues with MATUMBAMAN

Puppey reflects on past toxicity with MidOne and communication issues with MATUMBAMAN

Clement "Puppey" Ivanov has reflected on some of the personal conflicts he experienced during his years as captain of Team Secret , including tensions with Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng and Lasse "MATUMBAMAN" Urpalainen.

Speaking in an interview recorded before The International 2026, Puppey admitted that differences in how players viewed the game sometimes created difficult situations within the team.

Puppey on his relationship with MidOne

According to Puppey, his relationship with MidOne eventually became increasingly toxic because the two players had very different ideas about how Dota 2 should be played.

The disagreement was not necessarily personal at first, but their contrasting views on the game gradually made communication more difficult.

Puppey described the situation as one where both players held strong opinions, with the disagreements eventually developing into "pure toxicity."

Communication problems with MATUMBAMAN

Puppey also recalled a different issue involving MATUMBAMAN.

During a team exercise, players were asked to identify behaviors from their teammates that frustrated them. MATUMBAMAN revealed that he disliked being pressured by Puppey to immediately provide answers when he had not yet had enough time to process a situation.

Puppey explained that the exchange helped him understand how his own approach to analyzing scrims could sometimes put unnecessary pressure on teammates.

The experience highlighted how communication styles could become just as important as strategic disagreements when managing a professional Dota 2 roster.