“Picking us was a fatal mistake”: an interview with SAWO after the match against Vamos
Today, Team Spirit secured a convincing victory in the first round of the 2026 MLBB Mid-Season Cup playoffs, defeating Malaysia’s Vamos 3-0. After advancing to the semifinals, we had the chance to speak with the “Dragons’” roamer, Stanislav “SAWO” Reshnyak—the player discussed their preparations for today’s series and their goals for the tournament.
Tell us about your preparations for the match against Vamos. Which aspects did you focus on the most, given your loss to them in the group stage?
We just had to play our game with confidence—and everything would be fine. We knew that, and we did it. In the end, it was a logical result: 3-0. It’s no big deal that we lost to them in the group stage. Things actually turned out even better than they were.
Were you surprised when Vamos decided to pick you as their playoff opponent?
No, not really. Because it was either us or Cambodia’s PRO Esports. They made that call. Choosing us was a fatal mistake for Vamos, but for us, it’s perfect.
Who would you have chosen if you could have picked your own opponent for the quarterfinals?
We would have done exactly the same thing—we would have picked Vamos.
How satisfied are you and your team with your drafts today? Was it a mistake for Vamos to give up Hiraru to zaur egoist on the first two maps?
We’re very happy with our drafts. We prepared very well and, most importantly, played with confidence. Maybe giving us Hirara twice was a mistake on Vamos’s part, but we had answers ready in case they banned her. So it doesn’t matter—it wasn’t a big problem. We had other picks ready without Hirara.
It might have seemed like the victory in that series came too easily. In your opinion, what made the rematch so different from the series against Vamos in the group stage?
The rematch turned out completely different because we simply couldn’t afford to lose this time. In the group stage, we were poorly prepared and didn’t approach that match the right way, but this time we were fully ready. Consequently, we needed a result—and we delivered it. We played with confidence.
Did the tournament meta change at all after the group stage, or did it mostly stay the same?
I wouldn’t say the meta changes that much. It’s just that with some champions… Teams don’t know which ones are currently insanely overpowered and which ones aren’t. Some teams simply can’t counter certain characters that are very strong. And that’s why it feels like the meta hasn’t fully taken shape yet. But it has taken shape—that’s for sure.
Can reaching the semifinals be considered a success—for you and for the region?
No, the top 4 is far from enough for us. Our goal is the finals. That goes for both the region and our team.
