Yatoro: A Funny Encounter with a Fan and His Take on the World’s Best Players

Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, two-time The International champion and former carry for Team Spirit, shared a light-hearted story about an unexpected fan encounter and gave a bold opinion comparing two legendary Dota 2 players — Quinn and Topson.

The Serbian Fan: “There Wasn’t Much Choice”

While strolling through a shopping centre, Yatoro found himself in an amusing situation:

"Yesterday, Dimas and I were walking through the mall. A two-metre-tall Serbian guy, absolutely massive and ripped, comes up to us with his wife and says, ‘Can I have a photo, please?’ I looked at this enormous bloke and thought, ‘I don’t really have a choice here.’ He asked, but honestly, it didn’t feel like much of a question. So, I agreed."

Despite the fan’s imposing stature, Yatoro noted that he turned out to be very kind and polite.

Quinn vs Topson: Who’s Better?

During a recent Twitch stream, Yatoro shared his opinion on the differences between Quinn and Topson, reminding viewers of Topson’s performance at The International 2018:

"Who’s stronger, Topson or Quinn? Well, Quinn. Topson at TI8 was just destroyed in the mid-lane and couldn’t do anything. Then his team came in after 30 minutes and carried every game."

In Yatoro’s view, Topson contributed little to OG’s victory at TI8, and his teammates essentially "carried" him through the tournament. Yatoro believes that Quinn is a much stronger player in the current meta.

However, it’s worth noting that Topson, alongside OG, made history by winning TI8 and TI9, becoming the first two-time The International champion. Despite Yatoro’s criticism, these accomplishments remain unparalleled.

What’s Next for Topson?

As of this writing, Topson has not commented on Yatoro’s statements. Rumours suggest that he is currently serving in the military, leaving his potential return to professional Dota 2 uncertain.