Team Spirit's Yatoro Proposes Dota 2 Matchmaking Pause Rule Change

Professional Dota 2 player and two time TI winner, Ilya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, also renowned as the carry for Team Spirit, has put forward a suggestion for altering the pause rules within Dota 2 matchmaking.

Expressing his views during a recent stream on Twitch, Yatoro emphasized the need to prohibit pauses until the 10^th minute of a match to curb the misuse of breaks, particularly during the early stages of gameplay.

He emphasized the need to reevaluate the current system of pauses in Dota 2 which allows players to pause after the first three minutes of the game have passed. 

Yatoro Advocates for a Change in Dota 2’s Pause System

Yatoro's proposal stems from his frustration with the current pause system prevalent across Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 (CS2).

Questioning the necessity of prolonged breaks, Yatoro articulated, "God, I hate pauses so much. Why do they even exist? In Dota 2 and CS 2. Why should you sit and wait just because someone decided to take a break to grab an order or take out the trash? You have to just sit and wait for four minutes. Minimum."

Yatoro noted that in the current system, nine players have to wait for a single player. He highlights instances where players exploit the pause feature without legitimate reasons, causing unnecessary delays and disrupting the game's flow.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of Dota 2, Yatoro proposed a revised timeline for allowing pauses, suggesting they be permitted after the initial 10 to 15 minutes of gameplay.

He shed light on past occurrences where players would exploit pauses to step away for extended periods, adversely affecting the competitive integrity of matches.

Yatoro said, “It's such a dumb system. Pauses should be allowed after 10-15 minutes. Then you can use it. Right now, you can just wait for the third minute and disconnect. Before, you could even load, pause, go smoke, come back, and continue playing.”

Noting the dire situation, Yatoro remains steadfast in his belief that the pause rules need to be reevaluated. He stressed that his proposition extends beyond Dota 2 to encompass CS2, another title in which he actively participates.

_{Note: Transcription and Translation has been done via Hawk and Google Translate.}

As a two-time TI champion and often regarded as one of the best Dota 2 players, Yatoro’s insights carry weight and could prompt discussions regarding potential amendments to existing pause regulations.

It remains to be seen whether Valve will take input from the esteemed Dota 2 personality or not.