Team Yandex has brought in Malik for the BLAST playoffs.

The BLAST Slam VI offline playoffs, the premier Dota 2 tournament, will take place in Malta from February 13th to 17th.

Just before the start of the tournament, championship favorites Team Yandex faced a sudden roster change: their key offlaner, Noticed, was unfortunately absent due to visa issues. In response, the team urgently recruited Kazakhstani star Malik as a substitute.

Team Yandex's path to the finals has been anything but smooth. Bearing the glory of being DreamLeague S27 champions, they suffered a crushing defeat in the group stage, losing to strong teams like OG and Tundra, and at one point faced elimination.

Fortunately, Yandex regained their form in the crucial Play-In round, sweeping Team Spirit 2-0 and narrowly securing a spot in the playoffs' top six.

Malik, who was called up to fill the void, is experienced and previously played for PSG Quest and briefly filled in for Team Spirit. Although there are doubts about whether he can perfectly fill Noticed's position, fans are excited about his chemistry with Watson, another star player from Kazakhstan.

This playoff series will employ a brutal best-of-five (BO5) format throughout. Team Yandex will face off against powerhouses such as NAVI, OG, Team Liquid, HEROIC, and Team Falcons in the main tournament.

With defending champions Tundra Esports' early exit, the suspense surrounding the $1 million prize pool has increased dramatically. Despite a weakened roster, Yandex remains one of the strongest contenders for the BLAST Slam VI title.

Image source: Internet