Yandex overturn Spirit in BLAST Slam VIII final for back-to-back titles

Yandex are champions of BLAST Slam VIII, beating Team Spirit 3-1 in Malta to win their second major tournament in succession at the opening of the 2026-2027 Dota 2 season, Esports Insider reported.

The result came after Yandex had looked out of sorts early on. Spirit took the first map in 40 minutes, finishing with a commanding 48-19 kill count. Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk was central to that opening win, racking up 19 kills and 12 assists on Ursa while Yandex struggled to find any early tempo.

Yandex responded in game two. A decisive teamfight at the 23-minute mark swung momentum their way, and they closed out the map at 52 minutes. Ammar "ATF" Assaf drove the turnaround on Timbersaw, ending with 20 kills and seven assists as the trio of ATF, Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov and Ilya "CHIRA_JUNIOR" Chirtsov settled into the series.

Watson then took over in game three, posting a flawless 14 kills and 14 assists without a death on Nature's Prophet. Yandex overwhelmed Spirit's comparatively slower draft and sealed the map in 48 minutes, putting them a single win from the title.

The decider ran to 56 minutes. Watson again led the charge with 19 kills and 14 assists, while ATF contributed 13 kills and 22 assists, giving Yandex an overall kill advantage of 51-37 across the match as they confirmed the 3-1 series win. GosuGamers covered the game-by-game breakdown, and Field Level Media also confirmed the final scoreline.

The grand final was the third time the two teams had met across BLAST Slam VIII. Spirit won the earlier seeding-stage encounter, but Yandex answered by sweeping their next meeting to become the first side through to the championship match. Spirit's route to the final ran through the lower bracket, where they overcame a deficit against PARIVISION in the lower-bracket final before advancing.

Spirit had entered the event as the reigning The International champions. Their runner-up finish earned the team US$135,000, while Yandex collected the US$270,000 top prize.

GosuGamers noted that ATF's move to Yandex, following Team Falcons' exit from the competitive scene, was among the notable transfers of the post-TI 2026 roster shuffle. That change preceded Yandex's current run of back-to-back tournament wins, having already claimed the PGL Wallachia Season 9 title in late September.

Yandex now carry two major titles into the new season's next cycle, while Spirit leave Malta without silverware in their first outing under a revised lineup. Their BLAST Slam VIII meetings, settled narrowly across three matches, set up further contests between the pair as the season progresses.