Yatoro explains how to play Sven in Dota 2
2025-04-18 12:36:00Team Spirit carry Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk discussed Sven's gameplay in Dota 2. He doesn't like the carry hero, since he falls behind in late game if he doesn't get an early advantage. Missing the timings can be critical on this character, explains Yatoro in the team vlog from ESL One Raleigh 2025.
Sven depends too much on timings, the way you play laning stage, and how good the stacks are. If you have bad timings, it's super hard to win on Sven. He's weak in the late game, and you have to carefully choose your targets. You can dominate the late game, but only if you have an advantage.
In short, the hero relies too much on his position, laning and farm. If you get Echo Sabre and Blink Dagger, use smoke and make a kill, farm BKB, use smoke and go for another kill, get Roshan, buy Daedalus, and look for a fight again. Everything relies on timings, just like playing Alchemist.
Sven was picked for Yatoro only once at ESL One Raleigh, in the group stage game against Shopify Rebellion. The carry dominated the server, getting 18 kills, although he also died four times. Team Spirit won the game and the series.
ESL One Raleigh took place in the USA from April 7 to 13. Twelve teams competed for a share of the million-dollar prize pool. In the grand final, Team Spirit lost to Parivision 1:3. The event decided eight out of ten invites to Riyadh Masters through EPT. Two more spots will be determined after DreamLeague S26.
