“All heroes are playable—you just need to adapt them”: an interview with Minun at MWI 2026
On July 14 in Paris, the first matches of the MLBB Women’s International 2026 took place—and while Geltek Cyber Team started with a win, the Arab roster of Virtus.pro, featuring Elizaveta “Minun” Rukavishnikova, lost to Twisted Minds and dropped into the lower bracket of the tournament.
Nevertheless, after her debut match, the Russian roamer found time for a short interview—Minun shared how she joined the MENA roster and what she expects from her upcoming matches in the tournament.
Hi! Tell us about your impressions of the first match at the tournament. How do you assess your chances moving forward at MWI?
Actually, the result of our first match at this tournament wasn’t exactly, shall we say, predictable. We expected one thing, and that’s how it turned out. But it’s no big deal—we just had some bad luck. Overall, I’m pretty confident about our team’s chances.
What are your first impressions of Paris and the tournament itself? Have you had a chance to explore the city yet?
To be honest, I haven’t had any time at all. We flew in here on June 12 with the girls, and I left one of my bags in the arrivals area. I had to run back and forth 3–4 times, and I didn’t get to the hotel until around 8 o’clock. So I didn’t have any time at all. Other than that, my first impression is that it’s hot. I don’t like the heat, haha.
Do you have any desire to face a specific team in the tournament? Would a match against Geltek Cyber Team, for example, be special for you?
Actually, I don’t have any desire to play against anyone in particular. I just play because I enjoy competing in tournaments.
Tell us about your team. How did you decide to play in a different region, and how did this roster come together?
I actually hadn’t planned on playing in this tournament at all. But over the last couple of months, I happened to log into a banned social media site to see who had messaged me—and there was a message from the manager of Virtus.pro. They were looking for a roamer, and I agreed.
Is it hard to communicate with your teammates? What language do you use, and is it hard to adjust?
It was difficult at first because the girls spend most of their time talking to each other in their native languages. But that rarely happens during the game, so we communicate only in English.
Are there any differences between Virtus.pro’s playstyle and the playstyle in the EECA region? Do players from the MENA region play similarly or a little differently?
Actually, I think everyone’s style will always be different. The main thing is how they execute it.
Tell me, what do you think of the current meta? How well does it suit your playstyle as a roamer?
Yeah, overall it’s a very comfortable meta for a roamer. You just… need to be there, just exist, haha.
Can you name the strongest heroes for your role, in your opinion? Which of your favorite heroes is missing from the meta?
I think the strongest hero right now is Matilda, because Matilda offers too much for the other heroes on the map. As for heroes I’d like to see back in the meta… That’s a tough question. I’d say that all heroes are playable in the roam position—they just need to be adapted.
Right now, Team Vitality is considered the top favorite for the MLBB Women’s International 2026. In your opinion, is there a chance that someone else could win the tournament?
Of course, any team that takes it seriously and trains as long as Vitality does, consistently stays focused, and treats MLBB like a job—well, that’s certainly possible. Anything is possible if you want it enough.
