Yatoro on TI15: "There are many strong teams here capable of winning the tournament"

Yatoro on TI15: "There are many strong teams here capable of winning the tournament"

Carry for Team Spirit , Ilya " Yatoro " Mulyarchuk, assessed the level of competition at The International 2026 in Dota 2 after their victory over 1w Team in the first round of the playoffs. In an on-stage interview, he noted that several teams at the tournament are capable of contending for the championship and discussed Spirit's draft and the choice of Lone Druid.

First, Yatoro compared his performances on Lone Druid and Shadow Fiend in the series against 1w Team. The esports player stated that he enjoyed the first map more.

[Question: "Which hero did you enjoy dominating 1w Team with more: Lone Druid or Shadow Fiend?"]

Definitely in the first game [on Lone Druid].
Ilya " Yatoro " Mulyarchuk

Then, the Team Spirit player explained why he thought the opponent left Lone Druid open. Yatoro pointed out that this hero was part of the team's pre-prepared strategy.

[Question: "I'm surprised they didn't ban Lone Druid. Why do you think they allowed you to pick him?"]

I think they just forgot about Lone Druid. They picked Doom and decided it wasn't an issue. But it was part of our plan, so we were glad we could pick Lone Druid.
Ilya " Yatoro " Mulyarchuk

Separately, Yatoro commented on the overall level of The International 2026. According to him, there are enough strong teams at the tournament that are genuinely capable of winning the championship.

[Question: "Many say this is the most competitive TI in history. Do you agree? Does it seem like any team could win?"]

I think there are many strong teams here capable of winning the tournament. We will try to be one of them.
Ilya " Yatoro " Mulyarchuk

Team Spirit defeated 1w Team with a score of 2:0. On the first map, Yatoro played Lone Druid, finishing the game with a 18/0/9 stat line and destroyed the opponent's throne through backdoor. In the next round of the upper bracket, Spirit will face PARIVISION — the match is scheduled for August 21st

The International 2026 takes place from August 13 to 23 in Shanghai, China. Teams are competing for over $3.2 million, and the prize pool continues to grow through the sale of team and caster bundles.