Moon on Yakult Brothers: Communication struggles, playing with legends, and ignoring TI pressure

A decade is a long time to wait. The last time a Chinese team claimed The International championship title was in 2016, when Wings Gaming took the Aegis of Champions home.

This year, TI is returning to China for the first time since 2019, and a few rosters carry the anticipation and the pressure of competing on home soil for the most wanted Dota 2 trophy. The Chinese squads arrived at ESL One Birmingham 2026 with something to prove, but only Xtreme Gaming made a deep playoff run. The other one, Yakult Brothers, despite having seasoned veterans like flyfly and BoBoKa on the roster, was eliminated in the group stage.

Kam "Moon" Boon Seng, the Malaysian mid laner who spent years grinding through SEA with the likes of Mineski, Fnatic, and Team SMG, joined Yakult Brothers at the end of 2025, stepping into a new language, a new culture, and a new chapter of his career. We sat down with him in Birmingham to talk about the adjustment, the pressure, and why he refuses to blame a patch for Yakult’s early exit from the tournament.

After a few months in the Chinese region, how does the team’s communication and game philosophy differ from your time in SEA or with international rosters like SMG?

Yeah, I used to speak English with my old teammates, but now I sometimes have to figure out what they are trying to say. It gets messy a lot, so I’d say we are still in a learning process. We also didn’t get to practice a lot before this tournament because they were busy getting their visa.

You’re playing with absolute legends of the game. Does playing alongside veterans like flyfly and BoBoKa take some of the pressure off your shoulders as a playmaker, or is it quite the opposite?

I think the pressure isn't because of the big names on the team, but rather from the fact that I was away from the scene for maybe one or two years. I would say it’s the pressure that I put on myself as I’m trying to catch up with everyone.

You are trying to catch up as much as possible, and then Valve drops a big patch in the middle of the tournament. How much can we blame the 7.41 patch for your last day performance in the group stage?

Nah, I will not blame the patch. Everyone is excited about the patch. I will not blame the patch. It's just how we play the game, and that has nothing to do with the patch.

How much did this patch impact your hero pool? Is there any hero you used to play, but can’t do it anymore in this patch due to how much has changed?

I would say Tiny. I used to love Tiny a lot, and after the patch, he just disappeared. He's unplayable. I tried a bit, but his damage is so low that I don’t think I want to play it anymore.

TI is returning to China this year for the first time since 2019. The Chinese community is incredibly passionate and has been waiting a decade for the Aegis to return to the region. As a Chinese squad, do you feel that 'must-win' pressure from the fans already?

I think for myself, I didn't really feel it. I am not staying on forums, Weibo, or any other social media. I simply don't look at it, so I don’t know what the Chinese fans are saying.

More interviews from ESL One Birmingham 2026

• Tundra 33 on being the first to win on 7.41 patch, the target on their back
• Tundra bzm: “We figured out some good heroes before other teams”
• Aurora Mikoto: “We are kind of lagging behind with learning the new patch"
• MOUZ Seleri: “Chen is unplayable. Why does Venomancer have 5 spells?”
• Team Spirit Yatoro: “The problem is they didn't do it well”
• Team Falcons skiter: “We work through problems instead of replacing people”
• Virtus.pro Timado: “The team is still finding its stability, structure, and its own identity"