ATF: “Yatoro is in the best form I’ve ever seen him in right now.”
Team Yandex offlaner Ammar “ATF” al-Assaf, in an interview ahead of the match against Team Spirit at BLAST SLAM VIII, discussed whether he influences drafts on his new team and also highlighted the current form of Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk’s current form.
On drafts at Team Yandex
It’s pretty much the same as it was when I first joined the Falcons. I didn’t handle drafts there from the very beginning—I only started in the middle of the 2025 season.
Now I still put together drafts for myself, simply because I’m used to it. I try to share some of my thoughts. I played with geniuses who had great ideas. I think I have good ideas too, but here I leave the decisions to the others and sometimes make small suggestions.
[Question: Are there any former teammates from whom you’ve picked up a lot of ideas or who have helped you a lot?]
I’d say it’s everyone from the Falcons: Aui_2000, Sneyking, Cr1t, and skiter. Honestly, all of them. They taught me a lot.
On the balance between gaming and personal life
Ever since I joined Team Yandex, I’ve been devoting a lot of attention to the game. I try to focus on Dota as much as possible. Basically, I’ve gone into “cave man” mode: I literally do nothing but play. Even if I’m just sitting at the computer for fun and not doing anything, I still stay there.
I’ve joined a new team, so I want to give it more than 100 percent. But usually, over time, I find a more balanced routine.
On facing Yatoro
I know that he and another guy—whose name is written three times on the fountain—are true legends. Luckily for me, the other one isn’t here. Although, to be honest, that’s more of a bummer for him: I’d have taken care of both of them at once.
To be honest, I didn’t really respect Yatoro as a laner before. But after our practice matches against them, a lot has changed. We’ll see. This will be the first truly serious test for Yandex’s new roster, because the two strongest opponents here are PARIVISION and Spirit.
[Question: What exactly has changed? Why did you change your opinion of Yatoro on the lane after the practice matches?]
I don’t know. To be honest, he’s always been weak on the line. I’d seen him on the opposing side and thought, “A free lane.” But the last two times, it was different. It was unusual to see that. I’d say that right now, Yatoro is in the best form I’ve ever seen him in.
Team Yandex lost to Team Spirit 1–2 in the BLAST SLAM VIII playoff seeding match. Team ATF will start the LAN stage with a match against LGD Gaming, and if they win, they’ll face PARIVISION next.
Photo: PGL.
