ATF Joins Team Yandex
Team Yandex have made one of the biggest roster moves of the post-TI 2026 shuffle, bringing Ammar "ATF" Assaf into the offlane position ahead of the new competitive season.
Team Yandex announced on September 17 that Ammar "ATF" Assaf will replace Dmitry "DM" Dorokhin in the team's active lineup. DM has been moved to the inactive roster.
The new lineup is scheduled to make its competitive debut at PGL Wallachia Season 9, which begins in Bucharest on September 19.
The post-The International 2026 roster shuffle is already producing some major changes across professional Dota 2, and Team Yandex have now made one of the most notable moves of the new season.
The organization has signed Ammar "ATF" Assaf as its new position-three player, replacing Dmitry "DM" Dorokhin, who has been placed on the inactive roster.
The timing could hardly be more interesting. Yandex finished third at TI 2026 and will immediately put its new lineup to the test at PGL Wallachia Season 9.
Team Yandex Bring ATF Into the Starting Five
Team Yandex officially announced the addition of ATF on September 17. The move sees the 2025 TI champion take over the team's offlane position from DM.
DM has not been released outright. Instead, he has been moved to the inactive roster, leaving the possibility of another organization making an approach for him during the roster shuffle.
For Yandex, the change comes immediately after an impressive TI 2026 campaign. The team reached the lower-bracket final before being eliminated by eventual champions Team Spirit.
Team Yandex's 2026–2027 Roster
With ATF joining the team, Yandex's current lineup for the beginning of the new competitive season is:
The lineup also means Yandex now have two players with previous TI championship victories: ATF, who won TI 2025 with Team Falcons, and Saksa, who won TI 2022 with Tundra Esports.
Why ATF Changes the Dynamic of the Team
ATF is known for an aggressive approach to the offlane and for being capable of taking a significant amount of farm when a game allows it.
That creates an interesting situation alongside watson. Yandex now have two cores who can become major sources of net worth during a game.
The challenge will be finding the right balance between giving ATF enough resources to reach his timings while still allowing watson to reach his preferred late-game item progression.
Brings an aggressive offlane style and previous championship experience to the Yandex lineup.
Remains the team's primary carry and a major late-game win condition.
This could make the team's early-to-mid game particularly interesting to watch. If Yandex can create enough space for both cores, the lineup has multiple ways of reaching its strongest stages.
DM Moves to the Inactive Roster
Dmitry "DM" Dorokhin has been moved to Yandex's inactive roster following ATF's arrival.
This does not necessarily mean the end of DM's competitive career. During a roster shuffle, inactive players can become available to other organizations depending on contracts and negotiations.
His next destination will therefore be something to watch as the new season develops.
Yandex's Rapid Rise Makes This Move Interesting
Team Yandex only entered the Dota 2 scene in June 2025, but the organization developed into one of the stronger teams during the following competitive season.
Before the TI 2026 roster shuffle, Yandex had won three Tier 1 tournaments and reached the top three at several other major events.
Their TI 2026 run provided another indication of their growth. The team eventually finished third after being eliminated by Team Spirit in the lower-bracket final.
The ATF signing therefore represents a continuation of Yandex's attempt to compete at the highest level rather than a complete reset.
The New Yandex Roster Debuts at PGL Wallachia 9
There will be very little waiting time for fans who want to see the new roster in action.
PGL Wallachia Season 9 begins in Bucharest on September 19, with 16 invited teams competing for a $1 million prize pool.
For Yandex, the tournament provides an immediate test of whether ATF can integrate quickly into a team that already reached the top three at TI 2026.
The tournament is particularly useful for evaluating the new roster because there is no long preseason period. Yandex will have to build chemistry while competing against established teams.
Three Things to Watch in ATF's Yandex Debut
1. How Farm Is Distributed
The first major question will be how Yandex divide resources between ATF and watson. Both players are capable of becoming major sources of farm, so their positioning and timing throughout the game could be important.
2. ATF and Saksa's Coordination
Saksa has extensive experience playing around aggressive cores. Watching how the two approach the early and mid-game could provide an early indication of how quickly the new lineup is adapting.
3. CHIRA_JUNIOR's Role
With ATF and watson potentially requiring substantial resources, the midlane could become an important source of tempo for Yandex.
How CHIRA_JUNIOR creates space and controls the pace of the game will be one of the more interesting strategic elements of the new lineup.
The Post-TI 2026 Roster Shuffle Is Already Reshaping Dota 2
ATF's move is only one part of a much larger reshuffle happening after The International 2026.
Aurora Gaming recently replaced Nightfall with former Falcons carry player Skiter, while BetBoom introduced a new lineup featuring Save moving to mid and TORONTOTOKYO becoming the team's coach.
Xtreme Gaming have also rebuilt around Ame, bringing back Xm and XinQ alongside new additions.
These changes mean the opening tournaments of the 2026–2027 season will be particularly useful for seeing which newly assembled lineups can develop chemistry quickly.
⚡ A New Chapter for Team Yandex
ATF's arrival gives Team Yandex another experienced championship player and immediately creates one of the more interesting lineups to watch in the new season.
The team already proved at TI 2026 that it could compete deep into a major tournament. Now the question is how quickly ATF can fit into the system.
Their first opportunity to answer that question comes almost immediately at PGL Wallachia Season 9.
The new Dota 2 season has officially begun, and Team Yandex will be one of the teams worth watching.
This article was written using publicly available tournament and roster information.
• GosuGamers — ATF joins Team Yandex to replace DM
• Esports.gg — Team Yandex welcomes ATF to its new lineup
• NAVI — PGL Wallachia Season 9 tournament information