Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov became the biggest revelation on the professional Dota 2 scene in 2024. In the current season, the young carry player has already played for Team Spirit, and at the beginning of the year, he moved to PARIVISION — another top-tier team from the CIS. While Satanic is currently battling in the FISSURE PLAYGROUND Belgrade 2025 playoffs, we’ve prepared an interview with him, recorded before the start of the championship. Read on about Gallyamov’s career beginnings, the creation of Yellow Submarine, his experience playing for Spirit, and his move to PARIVISION.
Here is the transcript Interview (It was in Russian, so I translated it for you):
You’re already considered a well-known player, but not much is known about your life in the community. You moved to Vietnam as a child, right? How old were you?
Satanic – I think I was about seven or eight.
— What’s it like to suddenly find yourself in a completely different world at that age?
Satanic – To be honest, I didn’t really care. I didn’t like the climate much. I prefer fresh, cold air. There, the air was very warm, and I didn’t like that. Well, not that I didn’t like it, it was just fine for me.
— Did you quickly get used to the food?
Satanic – We lived in a Russian neighborhood, and my mom cooked. It was like a little Russia, you could say. There was a Russian school, everything was Russian.
— But during the time you lived there, did you pick up any local habits?
Satanic – Well, we had a purely Russian community. We went out of the city sometimes, but I didn’t pick up any unusual habits.
— So, the school was entirely Russian-speaking too? How many kids your age were there?
Satanic – Yes, it was Russian-speaking. There were about ten of us.
— When did you get into video games?
Satanic – From a young age, probably around five or six.
— So, even before you moved?
Satanic – Yeah, I played “Tanks” back then.
— How did you switch to Dota 2?
Satanic – I think my brother told me to play Dota 2. I don’t remember exactly, but I wanted to play “Tanks,” and he just told me to play Dota. So, I started playing Dota.
— There are many funny stories about computer clubs in Southeast Asia. Have you been to any?
Satanic – Yeah. I wouldn’t say people were screaming all the time, but overall — yeah, in Asia, there are a lot of people who… are kind of crazy.
— And did everyone play Dota?
Satanic – No, not necessarily. I don’t know what they played. I didn’t pay attention.
— What do you think of matchmaking in Southeast Asia? There are a lot of legends and rumors about it, saying there’s a lot of toxicity, smurfing, and everything else.
Satanic – Yeah, yeah. Well, there wasn’t smurfing at that time, but I really didn’t like the pubs. Since I’m Russian, people treated me badly. It was like me against the whole region.
— Could you communicate with local players? Did they know some basic phrases?
Satanic – Yeah, yeah. I used English. They could all speak English.
— By the way, did you learn anything from the local language over time?
Satanic – Not really.
— Tell me how you transitioned from “Tanks” to Dota. Did you immediately get hooked on the game?
Satanic – Honestly, I don’t remember.
— Do you remember what rating you calibrated at for the first time?
Satanic – Yeah, I remember. It was 2,500.
— How quickly did you climb? How was your progression?
Satanic – Well, listen, at first, not that fast. I had two brothers, school, and couldn’t play on weekdays. I also had an old laptop… It was tough. But then, when my brothers left, I started climbing MMR. I reached about 9,500 on the laptop, and then they gave me a PC.
— 9,500 — what year was that?
Satanic – Oh… I think it was two years ago or maybe a year ago.
— So, before that, the three of you played on the same computer, right? On the same laptop?
Satanic – Yeah.
— There’s this story that the younger ones always get less computer time. Was that the case for you?
Satanic – Hmm… I don’t know (laughs), maybe.
— By the way, do your brothers still play Dota?
Satanic – My older brother doesn’t really play computer games, and the middle ones play sometimes.
— Did you help them boost, for example?
Satanic – I helped my middle brother get to Divine.
— You mentioned there was school, and you couldn’t play all the time… When did that change? When did you realize you needed to play more and forget about everything else?
Satanic – My brother just said I should play sometimes on weekdays too. I just did my homework and played.
— Did your parents mind?
Satanic – At first, they did, but then I started playing seriously, and they stopped saying anything. Of course, there were lots of arguments, but we got through it fine.
— How do your parents feel about it now?
Satanic – Yeah, they support me.
— Do they watch your matches? I mean, the ones you’re playing in?
Satanic – I’m not sure if my dad watches, but my mom does. She doesn’t understand what’s happening, but she watches.
— Well, as long as she watches! So, you finished 9th grade and graduated from school?
Satanic – Yeah.
— And did you take exams while already playing for a team?
Satanic – No. Well, I had a team, but it was just for fun, messing around. But by the time I took the exams, we had already disbanded.
— At that point, had you already decided that you were going to pursue esports?
Satanic – Yeah, yeah. When I hit 8,000 MMR, I already said that I wanted to be an esports player and just worked toward that goal.
— So, you took your exams. Your previous team just disbanded. How did Submarine come about?
Satanic – Dima Korb3n messaged me. I had moved to Serbia, and we played a lot together. That’s how it happened. Dimas was creating the team, and that was it.
— So, he created the team specifically around you?
Satanic – Yeah.
— Was he keeping an eye on you in matchmaking and in your previous team?
Satanic – No, well… I actually got really lucky. There was some tournament, and Team Spirit failed it. In Asia. I ended up in matchmaking with Yatoro, with Collapse — played with them, talked to them. Dimas knew me, so he invited me to join the team… He messaged me: “You’ll get $100, conditionally, we’ll take you, and I might form a team.” That’s how I moved to Europe and started playing for Yellow Submarine.
— So here you are, 16 years old, with essentially no major competitive experience, and Korb3n messages you saying, “Hey, I’ll create a team around you.” How did you take it?
Satanic – Obviously, I was really happy when Dima (Korb3n) messaged me.
— Did you have any doubts, especially considering you had to move?
Satanic – Yeah, I did. I don’t really remember that time well. I had some doubts about certain things. My mom asked me, but I wasn’t sure. Then we met with Korb3n in Bali. After Bali, they took me to a bootcamp, and then I got an apartment.
— Did you move to Europe alone or did any of your parents or brothers come with you?
Satanic – I went alone.
— How was it for you, being alone in a completely different country where you’d never been, without your family?
Satanic – It was fine.
— Did you adapt quickly?
Satanic – Well, I had my circle of people to communicate with. I stayed at the bootcamp at first, worked, and so on.
— Did your parents worry a lot?
Satanic – I don’t know. But we talk often. My mom messages me, we talk a lot. But I don’t think she’s really that worried.
— Did you expect your rise on the professional scene to be this successful?
Satanic – No, I just kept growing, growing, and growing, and eventually made it. I didn’t expect it, but… I don’t know how to put it exactly, but I just climbed really fast. I just kept going, and that’s it, I kept climbing.
— How about with your teammates? Did you quickly find a common language?
Satanic – With Yellow Submarine? Yeah, we just talked, and played, and that was it.
— You had some experience with Aurora: you stand-in’d for a few matches. How was the transition for you? One thing is Yellow Submarine, where the guys are also young, but another thing is joining a big team like Aurora, which was top 1 in its region at the time.
Satanic – It was a little nerve-wracking. But actually, I felt comfortable. I got along well with Tёmych (Lorenof). We had a great time playing DreamLeague, it was fun.
— Do you still feel nervous before matches or tournaments?
Satanic – Yeah.
— Is there any emotional story before matches?
Satanic – Yeah, there is. But actually, during the match, I feel great, especially on stage. It’s cool.
— The International 2024 ends, and you move to Team Spirit. How unexpected was it for you to be invited to the main roster?
Satanic – I really didn’t expect it. Although, once it was known that Yatoro was stepping down, I could have predicted it. Because I think Spirit only had two options: me and Pure~, most likely. And that’s how it turned out.
— How different was it to be in Spirit? You’re no longer with guys who are, say, on the same experience level as you, but with the two-time TI winners. How was that?
Satanic – I didn’t think about it much. We just communicated well. So, there was no pressure because of that. I just played with them, showed something, and we got along well. The vibe in the team was great.
— During your time in Spirit, how much did you improve? Was there any new experience from your teammates in terms of gameplay? And personally, how to behave in a team, how to communicate, etc.?
Satanic – I already understood communication stuff. In terms of game understanding and map awareness, I think I improved a lot. When we played official matches, I definitely improved.
— Who helped you the most, gave advice, maybe acted as a mentor?
Satanic – Probably Yarik (Miposhka), because I communicated with him the most.
— It’s clear that Spirit is the most well-known team right now, with the most fans, and naturally, when you replaced Yatoro, everyone was waiting for your matches, everyone was watching you. Did such intense attention ever bother you?
Satanic – No, it didn’t bother me.
— Did you go and read what people were saying about you?
Satanic – Yeah.
— Did it boost you?
Satanic – Yeah.
— What if they said something bad? Are you used to that?
Satanic – Yeah, I honestly don’t care.
— People often talk about how great you are at farming. Everyone talks about your map movement patterns, how you get more gold off the map than anyone else. How did you develop that?
Satanic – I didn’t really develop it, it just came naturally. I think about where to go, what to do, where I can farm, where the jungles are, and that’s it. I wouldn’t say I worked on it or watched anything. It just comes naturally.
— It can be noted that both in Yellow Submarine and Team Spirit, you often played the greedy carry role, where the team plays around you. Do you prefer that style?
Satanic – Yeah. That was the style in Team Spirit and Yellow Submarine. Spirit’s style is like that, they need a carry who will carry the game.
— Do you personally prefer being a more active and aggressive carry, like dyrachyo, for example?
Satanic – No, I like to solo the games.
— So, you were generally happy with the style in Spirit? You enjoyed it?
Satanic – Yeah, that’s my style. I can actually play any style — aggressive or just farming creeps. I think I enjoy it when I can just 1v5 everyone. That’s the fun part.
— Is that why you chose the carry role, or did it happen by chance?
Satanic – I think it happened by chance. I played only mid and carry. I probably just liked playing carry more. Actually, I played all roles before, but carrying games as a carry is easier, that’s all.
— Now it’s known that Yatoro is coming back. How did you find out about that? Did they tell you in advance that Yatoro wanted to return, or was it unexpected for you too?
Satanic – It was unexpected for me too.
— Did you immediately have the option with PARIVISION? Were there other options?
Satanic – When I was benched in Spirit, the team I wanted to play for the most was PARIVISION. I told Dima [Korb3n] about it, and then they called me and said that there was an option to play in PARIVISION. I agreed.
— I understand that you had many offers during that period?
Satanic – I wouldn’t say so. That was the first option.
— And why was it your priority, by the way?
Satanic – Because I want to play in the CIS. It seems like the best teams in the CIS are Spirit, PARIVISION, BetBoom Team. The tier-1 ones. That’s why I wanted to play in PARIVISION.
— How did the team welcome you? How did you fit in?
Satanic – Everything’s fine. They welcomed me, we talk and hang out.
— Did you catch the same vibe?
Satanic – Yeah.
— Who do you communicate with the most right now?
Satanic – I’ve been and still am the closest with Dukalis.
— The style in PARIVISION is a bit different from what it was in Spirit, I think. As you said, Spirit played more around the carry. PARIVISION, on the other hand, played with Crystallis for several months, and he wasn’t the focal point — they usually played more around the mid. The team overall had a more tempo-oriented style, without such greedy carries. How are you fitting into this structure, gameplay-wise?
Satanic – It’s going well. I said I can play aggressively or just farm creeps. I think we have a good balance in the team.
— So, you’re adjusting to the team, not the other way around? Will you play as aggressively as PARIVISION did before?
Satanic – No. Both the team adjusts to me, and I adjust to the team. I can carry the game solo or just run around and fight. No problem.
— Do you think you’ll need some time to adapt to each other, or are you ready to tear it up at the tournament and show top-tier performance right away?
Satanic – The tournament is coming up, and we’ll be smashing everyone.
— So, who do you think your main competitors are?
Satanic – I don’t know. We’ll see how everyone performs. I can’t say. There’s been a big break, so…
— You’re not specifically preparing for anyone, analyzing certain teams?
Satanic – No, we’re not focused on any particular teams. But, in my opinion, Falcons are annoying. Probably the most annoying team.
— Will the match against Spirit be something special for you?
Satanic – Yeah, it’ll be an interesting match (laughs).
— Do you want to beat them?
Satanic – I don’t know, I want to beat everyone.
— I understand that you parted on a positive note with the guys? Do you still keep in touch with them?
Satanic – Yeah, yeah, we talk. I talk to everyone, except Magi [Collapse].
— It’s been a while since we had big, global patches. There have been micro-patches, but nothing major. Are you getting tired of the current meta?
Satanic – I would like the meta to change, yeah. I wish Valve would work more on Dota.
— What would you like to see? Maybe changes to your heroes or something else?
Satanic – I’d like them to buff Phantom Lancer and Faceless Void. At least those two… and Juggernaut, too.
— Name your top 5 best heroes for matchmaking. To climb MMR, not necessarily at high ranks.
Satanic – Top 1 is Alchemist. Top 2 is Dragon Knight. Top 3… Actually, I think the top 1 is Morphling. If you’re a skilled player, you’ll always climb with Morphling. Top 2 is Alchemist. Top 3 is Dragon Knight. Top 4, I think, is Medusa. Who else… Top 5 is probably Templar Assassin.
— I get it, you spend a lot of time playing, with training, and tournaments, but what do you do in your free time?
Satanic – I watch demos, sleep, eat.
— So there’s almost no time left?
Satanic – Yeah, there is. We just sit at the bootcamp, chill, talk, train.
— Any TV shows or anime?
Satanic – Nah, it’s too much effort to watch. You don’t really have much time to watch a lot of episodes. Better to just go home and chill if you want to.
— How do you like life in Serbia? Do you like it more than Vietnam?
Satanic – Yeah, it’s cooler here.
— How do you feel about the early independence? You enjoy it? You’re away from your parents, making decisions, earning money, all at such a young age, while 99% of your peers are still on their parents’ support.
Satanic – It’s fine for me.
— Do you miss home, your parents?
Satanic – Yeah.
— How often do you get to see them during the season, or visit them?
Satanic – They come to visit me sometimes. After Bangkok, I saw them.
This is it boys:) I hope you enjoyed the interview!
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