Yandex Reach BLAST SLAM VIII Top 3

Published October 10, 2026

Team Yandex have secured a guaranteed top-three finish at BLAST SLAM VIII after beating PARIVISION 2-1 in the upper-bracket semifinals. The victory sent Yandex into the upper-bracket final and ensured they will finish no lower than third in the tournament. It also locked in at least US$135,000 in winnings for the team. Yandex were the first team to reach the upper-bracket final, having completed two best-of-three victories during the opening day of the playoffs.

The result capped a demanding opening day of the BLAST SLAM VIII Playoffs for Yandex. They first eliminated LGD Gaming from the upper bracket with a 2-1 series win, then returned to face PARIVISION in the day’s closing upper-bracket semifinal. Yandex opened their series against LGD with a 36-minute victory after establishing an early gold lead and maintaining it through the game. LGD forced a decider by winning the second map just before the 53-minute mark, but Yandex dominated the third game and closed the series with a 31-minute win. That quarterfinal placed Yandex opposite PARIVISION, who had entered at the semifinal stage as one of the top seeds. PARIVISION took the opener, but Yandex answered in the next two games to complete the reverse sweep. The competitive consequence is clear: Yandex remain on the upper side of the playoff bracket, while PARIVISION move into the lower-bracket quarterfinals and must take the longer route if they are to meet Yandex again. Every game in the Yandex-PARIVISION series lasted at least 51 minutes, turning the final series of the day into a sustained test of late-game execution.

Yandex recover after PARIVISION opener

PARIVISION opened their series against Yandex with a 55-minute win, despite Yandex keeping pace for much of the game in net worth. Yandex selected Lone Druid for Watson as their primary win condition, while PARIVISION used a mobile tri-core of Io for Satanic, Storm Spirit for No[o]ne and Timbersaw for Noticed. PARIVISION controlled the teamfights and eventually broke through Yandex’s resistance to take the series lead. No[o]ne led PARIVISION’s 37-21 kill advantage with 13 kills and 20 assists on two deaths, while Noticed contributed 10 kills and 14 assists with one death. In the second map, PARIVISION again built a significant mid-game advantage and appeared close to finishing the series in two games. Satanic played Terrorblade, supported by No[o]ne on Pangolier and Noticed on Slardar as the team looked to create fights for its carry. Yandex answered with Nature’s Prophet for Watson, Dragon Knight for CHIRA_JUNIOR and Doom for ATF. The sides were relatively even early, before PARIVISION surged ahead in the middle phase. Yandex instead turned the match through later teamfights, then pressured PARIVISION’s base until the GG call just before the 52-minute mark forced a decider.

The second game provided the reset Yandex needed. CHIRA_JUNIOR led the team’s kill chart with eight kills and 14 assists on five deaths. ATF and Saksa each recorded six kills, and the pair combined for 30 assists against 12 deaths. Saksa’s Rubick was identified as a difference-maker as Yandex pushed back against PARIVISION’s attempt to close the series. The comeback also altered the bracket stakes immediately. A loss would have sent Yandex into the lower bracket, but the equaliser kept their upper-bracket route alive and made the final map a direct contest for a place in the upper-bracket final. PARIVISION had shown it could build advantages in both of the opening games, yet Yandex’s response in the second map demonstrated that the series would be decided by more than early momentum. The long game gave Yandex a chance to bring the series back to an even score before the 63-minute decider.

Watson leads the decisive map

Yandex took control early in the third game. Watson played Kez, while CHIRA_JUNIOR used Invoker and ATF played Pangolier. PARIVISION again put its hopes in Satanic’s Terrorblade, with No[o]ne on Snapfire and Noticed on Doom. The early exchanges were bloody, but Yandex came out ahead and heavily limited Noticed, preventing PARIVISION’s Doom from operating as the initiator the team needed. With Doom’s impact reduced, Watson had room to drive the mid-game fights as Yandex established control. PARIVISION extended the game through Satanic’s Terrorblade and kept alive the possibility of a late comeback, but Yandex completed the reverse sweep after 63 minutes. Watson finished the decider with 21 kills and 15 assists against two deaths. CHIRA_JUNIOR added 12 kills and 27 assists, while ATF posted 11 kills and 23 assists; both ended on four deaths. Those contributions supplied the decisive-map performance behind Yandex’s place in the upper-bracket final.

• Team Yandex defeated LGD Gaming 2-1 in the upper-bracket quarterfinal.
• PARIVISION won the first semifinal map, but Yandex took the next two for a 2-1 reverse sweep.
• The semifinal win guaranteed Yandex a top-three finish and a place in the upper-bracket final.

Yandex playoff series	Confirmed outcome
Against LGD Gaming	2-1 win in upper-bracket quarterfinal
Against PARIVISION	2-1 win in upper-bracket semifinal
Next stage	Upper-bracket final; opponent to be decided

The victory gave Yandex a place in the upper-bracket final, with the winner of Team Spirit versus Aurora set to be their opponent. More importantly, their position guarantees a top-three BLAST SLAM VIII finish and at least US$135,000 in prize money. The final tournament result remains undecided; the confirmed news is Yandex’s comeback against PARIVISION and the place that comeback secured.