ATF on Necrophos in Dota 2: “He’s my best hero, so I just pick him every game.”
Team Falcons offlaner Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf spoke about the team’s form and Necrophos in an interview following their victory over Xtreme Gaming in the group stage of the 2026 Esports World Cup.
On whether it feels good to see the dream team in good form
Let’s start by saying that we’re still not great—we’re only in the top 8 so far, which is nothing; it’s not an achievement. We need to win three more series. But it’s good to take first place in the group, advance quickly, and not have to worry.
On the team’s form compared to last year
Last year we didn’t win anything, and then we took second place at the EWC and first at TI. Last year we had good heroes, but this year I’m playing Necrophos, so I don’t quite understand what’s going on.
On Necrophos
He’s a really bad hero—he just loses all the time, and his win rate is low. But he’s my best hero, so I just pick him every game. My team knows I always want to play him.
On heroes
Valve decided that my top three heroes—Mars, Timbersaw, and Razor—would no longer have their aspects; you have to buy Aghanim’s Scepter or a shard, and the old buff might not even exist anymore. So I had to look for new heroes, and luckily, I found them.
Earlier, it was reported that the current Team Falcons roster set a historic milestone by becoming the first team in Dota 2 history to reach 500 wins. The team’s victory over Xtreme Gaming in the group stage of the 2026 Esports World Cup marked this milestone.
