From promising talent to one of the best offlaners of the 2022 DPC, ATF has grown during his one year under the OG banner at an incredibly fast pace, but it’s time for him to set his sight on new challenges.
Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf’s competitive career started only at the beginning of 202,1 when at the age of 15, under the Creepwave tag he became the youngest player in the Dota Pro Circuit. His raw talent, extremely aggressive style and hard work mentality were a perfect match with OG’s overall game approach.
In the post-TI10 shuffle, when OG rebuilt their roster from scratch, giving a chance to players that represent the new generation in Dota2, ATF was one of the key elements in the team’s success. Through the 2022 season leading to TI11, Ammar made his mark in the offlane and turned into one of the most feared players.
However, grinding just a few heroes, although he always managed to push the limits on them and deliver breathtaking performances throughout the year, had put a huge target on his back and on OG’s gameplay in general.
Coming into TI11 with a Major victory under their belt and the ESL One Malaysia 2022 title, OG were regarded as one of the favorites at the Aegis of Champions. Unfortunately, Ammar’s notorious heroes and his near perfect execution on them turned into a disadvantage at the most important tournament of the year. ATF was targeted by all teams at TI11 and his rather limited hero pool contributed to OG’s elimination in the top 8.
Although a top 8 finish at TI accomplished by a team featuring four youngsters who made their debut at the pinnacle Dota 2 tournament last month in Singapore is not a bad result at all, Ammar will not continue in the next season with OG.
According to the official announcement, ATF has been moved to an inactive position and can explore other opportunities.
While most of the players who fought at TI11 are now enjoying a much-needed time off, ATF went back to grinding, and for the past week straight he played mainly carry heroes in pubs. That might be an indicator that he might consider a role swap for the next season. The roster lock for the next season will come only at the end of November, which gives both ATF and OG plenty of time to figure out their next move for the 2023 DPC year.
