Literally speechless, at first.
Last year’s post TI roster shuffle left many of us feeling somewhat stunned. My Cloud9 shirt (and mug, wristband, sticker…) lost much of its relevance. But we adapted.
I thought the pinnacle of roster shuffle drama arrived when EG forfeited their direct invite to TI6. I thought that surely nothing could top “ArtEEzy” becoming reality, and Universe leaving EG then coming right back.
Then, I woke up Saturday morning and checked Reddit after a long week of fieldwork and spotty cell coverage.
- GGA is gone. For those who aren’t aware, GGA or the Good Game Agency owns the Evil Geniuses and Alliance brands. They were bought out by Twitch (who is owned by Amazon). GGA has been a mainstay in the world of esports for years.
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away. GG GGA.— Aaron Chambers (@ayesee) August 27, 2016
I don’t think anyone saw this coming. I always assumed GGA turned a good profit – EG and Alliance are very successful Dota teams with huge brand presence. EG even sponsored players in other esports fields. Is this a decision handed down from the top people at Amazon? Why get rid of the GGA company?
2. While we’re on the subject of [A], Akke, Bulldog, and s4 leave Alliance. I never thought Akke and Loda, who are apparently great friends IRL, would split up.
3. FEAR IS OUT OF EG. While there was speculation that he might retire this year (he has a repetitive strain injury that doesn’t seem to be improving), it seems like he was “released” from the roster (as opposed to “has left”). Zai’s out too!
4. Secret…merged with MVP, of all teams. Envy, Arteezy, and Bulba are out. New roster is MP, MidOne, FoReV, Puppey, and Pieliedie.
5. OG, despite being the only team to ever win 2 Valve events, has switched up their roster. Cr1t and Miracle left, MoonMeander was kicked. Fly and Notail remain. Moon went to Digital Chaos at the expense of Moo.
6. Sumail has left EG’s roster. No official statement at the time of this article’s writing. He previously stated he’d be sticking with the organization, but perhaps the collapse of GGA, EG’s parent company, has left him feeling uneasy. This would leave only PPD and Universe on EG’s squad.
Speculation on post TI roster shuffle
There are several big free agents floating around. I’m personally hoping for the rebirth of Cloud9, maybe with Envy or Cr1t. Complexity is rumored to be switching things up – there have been a ton of half confirmed statements floating around. Liquid may be making changes as well.
You can check the current rosters here: http://www.dota2.com/majorsregistration/list
Oh, and apparently SingSing’s streaming again.
Post – TI roster shuffle, man. I don’t even know anymore.