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In a resounding endorsement from the professional Dota 2 community, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan, midlaner for Gaimin Gladiators, named Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk of Team Spirit as the best player of all time. This sentiment has been echoed by other renowned players in the industry, including Janne "Gorgc '' Stefanovski and the iconic Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan, solidifying Yatoro's status as a formidable force in Dota 2 esports.
Quinn Says Yatoro Is “Unreal Talented”
Yatoro, the carry player for Team Spirit, recently secured his position among the Dota 2 elite by clinching his second The International (TI) title at The International 2023. His team's triumph at this prestigious event marked only the second instance in the history of competitive Dota 2 where a team has claimed the title twice, with the first being the legendary OG.
During a livestream, Quinn was prompted with the question of who is the best player of all time among Yatoro and Amer "Miracle-" Al-Barkawi. To this Quinn replied, “I mean, I think Yatoro is the best player of all time. I think he’s unreal talented, and skilled, and clutch.”
While most Dota 2 personalities name Yatoro as the best, it was surprising to see Yatoro and his team get excluded from The Game Awards 2023’s esports nominations for ‘Best Esports Team’ and ‘Best Esports Athlete.’ Gorgc, after looking at the list of nominations for these two categories, questioned the exclusion of Team Spirit and Yatoro, emphasizing their impact on the Dota 2 scene.
At just 20 years old, Yatoro's remarkable mechanical skills have set him apart, earning him comparisons to established Dota 2 veterans such as Amer "Miracle-" Al-Barkawi. Yatoro's impressive list of accomplishments already includes major titles such as the Pinnacle Cup 2021, The International 2021, PGL Arlington Major 2022, Riyadh Masters 2023, and the recently concluded The International 2023.
Quinn Is All Praise for Team Spirit
The pinnacle of Yatoro's recent success came in the form of a decisive 3-0 series victory against Gaimin Gladiators in the grand finals of TI12. During his stream, Quinn also shared insights into the intense competition at The International 2023, expressing his sentiments about Team Spirit's extraordinary performance. In a candid moment, Quinn remarked, "If Spirit was a little bit worse or someone else knocked him out, we would have won TI for sure, but Spirit was just next level."
He went on to praise Team Spirit for its versatility. He also emphasized that Gaimin Gladiators winning majors didn't impede its progress in any way. Quinn highlighted the significance of diversifying one's Dota 2 skills, stating, "If you're only good at one way of playing Dota, then I don't know, it's kind of lame."
The Gladiators' midlaner concluded with high praise, acknowledging Team Spirit's exceptional prowess, stating, "Spirit, I don't know, is very, very good."
