Battle Report: Dota 2's Week in Review

Welcome to this week's Battle Report, your condensed briefing on the most important happenings across the Dota 2 competitive landscape. From roster adjustments and milestone achievements to Valve's preparations for The International 2026, this roundup covers the critical developments shaping the scene. Whether you're tracking professional players pushing MMR boundaries or monitoring team changes ahead of DreamLeague Season 27, you'll find the essential updates compiled here.

Heroic Reinforces Coaching Staff for DreamLeague Season 27

Filipe "Astini" Astini has joined Heroic as an analyst specifically for their DreamLeague Season 27 campaign. The Brazilian coach announced the temporary position on Telegram while clarifying his continued pursuit of head coaching opportunities for 2026. This addition gives Heroic extra analytical depth as they compete in one of the season's premier tournaments.

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Astini brings substantial coaching experience to the temporary role, having previously worked with several tier-one organizations. His focus on finding a permanent head coaching position for next year suggests this DreamLeague engagement serves as both immediate contribution and continued professional visibility.

The 17K MMR Club Gains Two Members in One Day

Ilya "Kiritych" Ulyanov became the eighth professional player to surpass 17,000 MMR, achieving the milestone just hours after teammate Ilya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk hit the same threshold. Both players announced their accomplishments on December 12th, adding two more names to the ultra-elite group of players operating at the absolute pinnacle of Dota 2's ranking system.

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Mark "mangekyou" Kharlamov established the 17K barrier in early April 2025, and the subsequent months have seen a slow trickle of additional players joining the club. The simultaneous achievement by two Team Spirit players underscores the organization's emphasis on maintaining peak individual skill alongside team coordination.

The 17,000 MMR threshold represents the top 0.001% of Dota 2's player base. Reaching this level requires consistent performance against other professional players while maintaining win rates that offset the minimal rating gains at such extreme ranks.

Fly Becomes First Player to Reach 3000 Professional Matches

Virtus.Pro's Tal "Fly" Aizik reached 3,000 professional Dota 2 matches, becoming the first player in the game's history to hit this milestone. His 3,000th match occurred during a DreamLeague Season 27 series against MOUZ. Clement "Puppey" Ivanov, who currently coaches for PARIVISION, ranks second in career matches, while Jingjun "Sneyking" Wu sits third with 2,655 matches.

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Fly's career spans over a decade of high-level competition, from his early days with Fnatic through his championship runs with OG and his tenure with Evil Geniuses and now Virtus.Pro. The 3,000-game milestone represents continuous adaptation through countless meta shifts, tournament formats, and team compositions.

The longevity required for this achievement highlights the physical and mental demands of professional Dota 2. Maintaining competitive relevance across thousands of matches while the game evolves requires constant learning, strategic flexibility, and dedication to peak performance.

Valve Opens International 2026 Broadcast Applications

Valve announced Request For Proposal submissions for The International 2026's regional language broadcasts, specifically seeking Russian and Spanish production partners. The tournament returns to Shanghai, China in August 2026, with Valve accepting applications for commercial broadcast licenses and platform restreaming rights.

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The official announcement outlines three distinct participation pathways. Production companies can apply for full commercial broadcast licenses with event access. Streaming platforms may request official feed restreaming rights. Community casters can create noncommercial DotaTV broadcasts under the existing Community Streaming License without formal application.

This structured approach to regional broadcasts reflects Valve's expansion of The International's global reach while maintaining quality control over official productions. The Russian and Spanish language markets represent significant viewer bases that warrant dedicated professional broadcasts rather than relying solely on community coverage.

BetBoom Secures Emergency Stand-In for DreamLeague

BetBoom Team brought in Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyryanov as an emergency stand-in after Danil "gpk" Skutin withdrew from DreamLeague Season 27 due to health concerns. Aurora Gaming facilitated the transfer, allowing kiyotaka to fill the roster spot for the tournament's duration.

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The team's announcement thanked Aurora Gaming for their cooperation and wished gpk a speedy recovery. Stand-in situations like this test team cohesion and adaptability, particularly mid-tournament when practice time is limited and opponents have already studied the original roster composition.

Kiyotaka joins a roster that must quickly integrate his playstyle and communication patterns while maintaining their competitive edge. The success of emergency stand-ins often depends on player versatility and the team's ability to adjust strategies around different strengths.

Ready to Test Your Dota 2 Knowledge?

All these roster moves, player achievements, and tournament preparations create perfect opportunities to demonstrate your understanding of the competitive scene. Head over to our Pick'ems section to lock in your predictions for upcoming matches. Follow our expert analysis and match previews to stay ahead of the competition and climb the leaderboards. The best predictions come from staying informed about exactly these kinds of developments across the scene.

TL;DR

• Heroic adds Astini as DreamLeague analyst while he pursues 2026 head coaching roles
• Kiritych and Yatoro both reach 17,000 MMR within hours of each other
• Fly hits 3,000 professional matches, becoming the first player to reach this milestone
• Valve opens Russian and Spanish broadcast applications for The International 2026
• BetBoom brings in kiyotaka as emergency stand-in after gpk withdraws due to health issues