Malady about Team Yandex: “We just consistently do what we can, and it always brings results”

Team Yandex player Arman Malady Orazbaev reflected on the team’s results. In an interview at the English-language broadcast of the Esports World Cup 2026 for Dota 2, he explained the secret of the team’s success, and also discussed the choice of Undying and a potential opponent in the semi-finals of the tournament.

It's all about being systematic. We just consistently do what we know how to do, and it always brings results. [Question: "Let's talk about Undying. I know Aghanim's Shard is very important to your playstyle. How highly do you rate this item?"] I think it's very strong. We worked on this a lot in training. I bought Aghanim's Shard very early so that after killing the Harrower, our other core hero could also get it. I think this is a very powerful subject. [Question: "What do you think of Rune Eaters?"] They've already beaten Aurora Gaming, and I think they have a pretty good chance of beating PARIVISION. I corresponded with Malik, and he said: “If we beat PARIVISION, then we’ll beat you too.” I think I would give them about 30% to win and PARIVISION 70%.

Team Yandex approached EWC 2026 as the champion of the previous major tournament - BLAST Slam VII. On July 16, the team defeated Team Spirit in the first round of the EWC 2026 playoffs. In the semi-finals, the team will compete with the strongest of the PARIVISION pair - Rune Eaters.