Team Yandex defeated Team Spirit in the BLAST SLAM VIII playoffs

Team Yandex proved stronger than Team Spirit in the upper bracket final of the BLAST SLAM VIII playoffs. The match ended with a score of 2-0.

On the first map, the “Dragons’” carry, Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, played Outworld Destroyer; their opponent managed to start with eight unanswered kills, and despite the subsequent narrowing of the score gap, the “Geese” kept the situation under control and dictated the pace of the game. On the second map, Yandex picked Techies and Viper; Alexander “Accell” Litvinenko’s team secured a significant advantage in the mid-game, which allowed them to take the lead in objectives and close out the game in their favor.

Thus, Yandex became the first team to qualify for the championship grand final in Malta. Spirit will face the winner of the PARIVISION vs. Aurora Gaming match tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. Moscow time.

The “Dragons” lost to Yandex for the first time since The International 2026, when they managed to end their losing streak against the “Geese”—which at that point stood at eight consecutive matches. Over the past year, the series record stands at 7–2 in favor of TY.

Photo by Luc Bouchon, BLAST.