Why Crystallis Doesn’t Deserve The Hate

Though I had extremely high expectations for Tundra’s new roster, they couldn’t get the job done in ESL One Raleigh 2025, ending their campaign with a respectable third-place finish. But for such a world-class roster, bronze just doesn’t feel like enough. 

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Crystallis. He’s the only new piece in Tundra’s lineup, so of course all eyes are on him. Yes, the swap was dramatic. Yes, he replaced a fan-favorite in dyrachyo. But let’s be real – it’s too early to pin the team’s decline entirely on him.

I’m a huge Crystallis enjoyer, and I feel the doubt and hate surrounding him is unwarranted. Here’s why. 

Why He Got Kicked From PARIVISION In The First Place

Let’s take a few steps back and think about why he was kicked out of PARIVISION in the first place, right after winning ESL One Bangkok 2024, no less. 

First, PARIVISION is a full Russian-speaking team, and Crystallis is the only outlier. With Dota requiring precise comms, speaking in your native language can feel comfortable, especially during intense fights where clear messages must be relayed.

Second, enter Satanic. If you’ve followed Counter-Strike, you’ve probably seen how donk tore through the scene after rising from Team Spirit Academy. Satanic is pretty much the Dota version of him. And just like donk, he’s homegrown, raw, and, crucially, Russian-speaking. For PARIVISION, it would’ve been hard to justify not giving him a shot.

So no – Crystallis wasn’t kicked because he underperformed. He was just the odd man out in a team making a language-based upgrade and betting on an unpolished gem. You can’t call him a weak link when the team was lifting trophies with him. 

The Misunderstood Narrative: Is Crystallis Really Worse Than Dyrachyo?

It’s easy to compare Crystallis to dyrachyo and assume Tundra downgraded. However, I genuinely believe Crystallis is the better player.

Sure, dyrachyo had some flashy plays and won tournament after tournament with Tundra while Crystallis didn’t. Still, the latter didn’t really underperform at ESL One Raleigh. He still had solid laning presence, good consistency, and even looked like the best player on the server in some games.

However, the two carries do have entirely different play styles. Dyrachyo is more of a high-risk, high-reward player, allowing for some jaw-dropping plays or giga throws. Crystallis isn’t as flashy, so it’s hard to rate his impact from a quick look, especially when he’s surrounded by four star players. 

This narrative that Crystallis is the “worse” carry is built more on nostalgia and vibes than actual analysis. And that’s exactly why it needs to be challenged.

The Main Issue In Tundra – Farm Priority

The biggest problem with Tundra’s current form is farm priority. In most of their games, all three cores – Crystallis, bzm, and 33 – tend to split farm pretty evenly. It’s not uncommon to see all three sitting at similar net worths by mid-to-late game.

That in itself isn’t bad, especially for a team known for its efficiency. Tundra is one of the best stacking teams in the world – Saksa constantly abuses the Triangle, piling up camps for easy gold. But here’s the catch: it’s usually bzm or 33 clearing those stacks, not Crystallis.

With Dyrachyo, this worked because he’s a high-impact player who doesn’t need to be overly farmed to create space or win fights. And when he overextends or dies, bzm and 33 are farmed enough to cover for him. Crystallis, by contrast, is a more traditional, stable carry. He shines when he’s the clear number one in farm – when he’s trusted to close games, not just survive them.

Sure, he’s picked heroes like Razor, who doesn’t need as much gold, but even when he’s playing something like Gyrocopter, which does need to be ahead, the farm is still split too evenly. A Gyro that isn’t one item ahead of everyone else just doesn’t work. And when your “hard carry” isn’t being given the space or priority to carry, it’s hard to expect miracles.

Bzm is definitely one of the greedier mid players. Compare him to No[o]ne-, a player that loves making rotations and brawling in the early-to-mid game. That’s why Crystallis, and now Satanic, could thrive in the PARIVISION roster – they’re given space. 

Looking Forward: Crystallis Deserves Patience, Not Hate

It’s easy to throw blame when a top-tier team underperforms, and with Crystallis being the only change in the roster, it becomes even easier to point fingers. But growth doesn’t happen overnight.

Crystallis isn’t a flashy highlight-reel player like some other players, but he’s smart, consistent, and stable. This is a great foundation a team can build around, but it’s going to take some time. 

Hopefully Tundra solves their issues for the upcoming tournament, and I hope to see them lift a big trophy like Riyadh Masters 2025. And let’s be real – third place on their first LAN event isn’t even a bad result.