Team Spirit’s Yatoro Considers Bold Move for TI 2023
Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk from Team Spirit has a special relationship with the gods of Dota 2. During the incredible lower bracket run that led to Spirit’s victory at The International 2021, Yatoro shaved his hair mid-tournament, believing it brought them good luck. Now, as TI 2023 takes place, he may be thinking about an even bigger gesture.
Team captain Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov hinted at a surprise for the fans in a Team Spirit vlog, as translated by Escorenews. When asked about it, he revealed, “I heard Yatoro say he would go on stage naked.”
Miposhka wasn’t sure about the specific details, but he reassured fans that this was the only surprise planned.
Following Yatoro’s successful head-shaving at TI10, known as the “Yatoro Buff,” other teams and players attempted to replicate this luck at TI11. Notably, Arteezy tried going bald in hopes of a miraculous lower bracket run, but it didn’t work out.
While no one could match Yatoro’s success after shaving his head, at least no one was banned in the process. If Yatoro’s alleged plan to go on stage naked becomes a reality, Twitch could ban Valve.
While Team Spirit has been dominating TI 2023, winning all their group matches without a loss, they may not need any tricks for luck. Only LGD has a chance to match Team Spirit’s flawless record at the time of writing.
Despite a slow start to the 2023 season, Team Spirit impressed fans with their late-season revival leading up to Dota 2‘s TI 2023. They won the last two major events in the summer, earning $5.3 million in prize money. Now, as one of the favorites, Team Spirit aims to achieve the ‘legendary’ status of OG in Dota 2 at TI 2023, with their eyes set on a second Aegeis of Champions.
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