Yatoro Falls Victim to Dota 2 Smurf Ban

Team Spirit carry Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk has broken the silence after receiving a Valve-issued smurf ban

Valve’s recent crackdown on smurf Dota 2 accounts has been one of the most significant talking points within the Dota 2 community, and Team Spirit carry Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk says that one of his rarely used accounts has been affected. He revealed the information during a livestream chat with his followers. The Ukrainian also expressed his thoughts on the Dota 2 smurf ban, reflecting on how it influences his gaming experience and the adjustments he may need to make in response to these changes.

Huge smurf ban wave is going on right now – /u/LotasEZ #dota2 https://t.co/AZSaQBGnqY

— Reddit Dota 2 (@redditdota2) January 17, 2024

Yatoro Reveals Smurf Ban Hit Account

On a day of reckoning for competitive Dota 2, Valve unleashed a wave of bans on January 16, targeting a notorious group of smurfs, including high-profile pros like TORONTOTOKYO and Nightfall. Entity star Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov, recognized as the European smurf “king,” also faced repercussions, losing the account that previously held top positions in the ladder alongside his primary account. Mad Kings star Steven “StingeR” Vargas was banned halfway through a DreamLeague Season 22 qualifier series.

Yatoro revealed that one of his accounts also faced the wrath of Valve’s anti-smurf hammer.

“I have another smurf account, but I [almost] don't use it. Sometimes, I play on it when I have a losing streak on my main. Well, not even for these cases, but when I'm feeling lazy to play the main one, I use this smurf. One match per two months. [There will be a ban] Well, ban it.”

He also pointed out that his Nigma Galaxy counterpart Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi did not face any consequences for his smurfing practices. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t so happy about the discrepancy.

“And they didn't ban Miracle's smurfs. Well, yeah, that's quite fair. Not a single one of his six smurfs. I suggest we give the wonder boy 4 gold per minute. Valve will approve.”

The specifics of how Valve implements these bans are not known to the public. While some escaped the recent purge, future waves could sweep them up, leaving no corner for exploiters to hide. The organization makes use of the vast pool of player data it has in its disposal to roll out these bans.