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Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf is quite frankly one of the most unique Dota 2 players who has stood out since the time he entered the professional scene. The young Jordanian player has a commendable skill as an offlaner that would destroy even some of the most renowned players in Dota 2. However, he has not been shy to express his toxicity in games, be it in the form of tips, slurs, or in-game actions. One such action that has been associated with ATF, time and again, is when he drops the mantle of intelligence in front of the enemy's fountain when ending the game.
On 4th March, ATF talked to Brian "BSJ" Canavan and revealed how he came about discovering this signature move and how he made it a part of his personality.
The Origin of ATF’s Mantle of Intelligence Drop
Tipping in Dota 2 was first introduced to be a sign of acknowledgment or giving a digital thumbs up when a player makes a good move. However, soon after the introduction, players started tipping other players as a means of psychological warfare and provoking their opponents. Tipping originally required players to own a Battlepass or Dota Plus and those who had neither would have to resort to the good old all-chat slurs.
On 4th March, while talking to Dota 2 YouTuber and content creator BSJ, ATF revealed that back when he was not a professional player, he didn’t have a battle pass or Dota Plus to jump into the tipping culture.
However, during one fateful game, he met a player in his Ancient-Divine bracket that would give him the mantle of intelligence as an alternative and ATF soon realized what it meant. Realizing the potential of opening new doors to the Dota 2 toxic culture, ATF soon adopted it and made the move of his own.
When ATF turned pro, he carried this toxic move even though tipping was made available to all players. He BM'ed his opponents and some big-name teams such as Team Secret, and Virtus.pro amongst many others with his mantle of intelligence move.
However, in recent times the frequency of ATF dropping the mantle of intelligence has numbed down. Instead, he can be seen usually spamming all chat. Apart from being toxic, ATF has also made a name for himself as a versatile Dota 2 player brimming with the potential to be one of the best.
During an exclusive interview with AFK Gaming, ATF opened up about his "naughty" side. On the question of having a reputation of trash talker in Dota 2 and why he likes engaging in trash talking, he said, "If anything it is to tilt people who're playing against me. Even though I'm toxic, I could take advantage. Why would I not? Some people could hate it, some will not, but why not take a chance? That's why I like trash talking."
At the ongoing DreamLeague Season 22, ATF’s team, Team Falcons, has gone undefeated in the group stage 2 and is looking poised to secure its second title win of 2024.
