“He Definitely Has A Future”: Yatoro Talks About Mikey Joining A Tier 1 Team

Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk feels optimistic about Kasra “Mikey” Mesbah’s future in the highest stage of competitive Dota 2

Kasra “Mikey” Mesbah, a 21-year-old Iranian national, stepped into the limelight at the DreamLeague Season 19 as a star performer for Shopify Rebellion. He originally came in as a substitute for their regular midlaner Abed “Abed” Yusop, who could not make it to the tournament because of visa troubles, but quickly established himself as one of the best players in the unit. Mikey played a crucial role in Shopify Rebellion's journey to the playoffs and eventual 3rd-place finish at the tournament.

Team Spirit carry Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk is a fan of Mikey’s gameplay and thinks he can have a successful career in a Tier 1 side if he can add to his hero pool and adjust to the frequent meta changes. 

What Did Yatoro Say About Mikey?

In an exclusive interview with escorenews, Yatoro spoke highly of Mikey's potential in the Dota 2 scene, praising his impressive skills as a high-MMR pub player and his thought process during the game. Nevertheless, Yatoro also pointed out that Mikey's limited hero pool might hinder his chances of joining a top-tier team, as the competition for spots is fierce. Yatoro believes that Mikey’s experience of playing as a stand-in for Entity will help him land a permanent role at a Tier 1 team. 

“He definitely has a future. He's a typical high-MMR pub player. At some point, he was in meta. Now, I'm curious how he will develop because a lot of his heroes aren't that good. In general, he has a nice chance of getting on a decent team. Because he is doing well, he is a skilled and thoughtful player. I remember when he stood in for Entity, he killed Larl three times in a Pango vs Invoker match-up. He is a skilled guy.”

Yatoro namedropped a number of teams, which he believes are the best suited to accommodate young midlaner. Why did Mikey not sign for a new team after the first Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season and in which region would Mikey end up playing in the future? Yatoro has his theories. 

“There's nowhere to go, in general. Considering he is Iranian and will more likely go to Europe rather than CIS, he won't get to Liquid, Nine will also keep his place, Gladiators (Gaimin Gladiators) just picked Quinn, and they are doing good. OG? To change bzm, an 18-year-old for the same kind of guy who is only 17? Well, that's just plain stupid. Ooredoo Thunders, maybe, that kind of team might recruit him. It's hard to get on a roster that will guarantee to destroy opponents. He can end up in Division 1 but on a low-profile team.”