Fly talks about OG drama: “I regret how I handled it but I learned from it and grew a lot as a person.”

In the recent We Say Things podcast, hosts Shannon "SUNSfan" Scotten and Troels Lyngholt "syndereN" Nielsen brought a special guest on board, 4-time Major winner Tal "Fly" Aizik. The 2-hour long podcast gave a ton of insights and behind-the-scenes stories from Fly's entire Dota 2 career including the infamous drama with OG.

The story of Fly leaving OG took place 4 years ago in 2018, where Fly did not only leave his team but also his close friend, Johan "N0tail" Sundstein just 3 months before TI8. Prior to the incident, the Fly and N0tail duo was inseparable as they constantly team up together throughout their Dota 2 careers. They were the founding members of OG and they delivered one of the biggest dominance in the scene. But even with 4 Valve Majors under their belt, they couldn't seem to make it work at the TI stage.

Three months before TI8, the Dota 2 community was shaken by the news of Fly leaving OG. It was then clear that Fly left the team on a sour note.

In the podcast, Fly revealed that he regretted how he handled the situation, "The way I left the team.. I handled the situation poorly and I definitely regret how I handled it but I did learn from it and grew a lot as a person," said Fly.

Unsurprisingly, the community feasted on the drama, and even after 4 years, the issue is constantly dragged. "I've tried to move on but these sort of things the community just won't move on from,' he said. Being a public figure means you are more prone to criticism. Fly mentioned that he does have a thick skin to handle the criticism at this level of competition.

However, while the criticism is understandable, some of them are beyond what is necessary or purely for fun. Ever since he left OG, the term "traitor" follows him wherever he goes. Although he managed to handle the aggravating side of the community, Fly admitted that it eventually affected him.

"I play this game because I still love it, I do interviews because I still want to engage with this community," Fly said. "But repeatedly being labeled as a traitor for every match or interview over 4 years kind of chips away at you."

A large part of the Dota 2 community can be excessively vile and toxic. To this, Fly calls for the community to be better. "We need to set the bar higher for ourselves and our community," Fly said. "This isn't about which team you're cheering for or what players you're a fan of. You can be passionate without being harmful."

Fly last played for Talon Esports in SEA and he was unofficially coaching TSM during the recent North American Regional Finals. He revealed that he declined TSM's offer to coach for them as he still wants to pursue Dota 2 as a player. However, he stated that it is hard to join teams as it's currently mid-season. So in the meantime, we can expect to see him as an analyst, caster, or even a streamer.

You can find more in-depth info regarding Fly's Dota 2 career and personal opinions in the podcast here.

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