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Entity sign Dota 2 player Pure despite controversy

European-based Dota 2 team Entity have signed Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko, despite the controversy surrounding the player’s behavior that led... Benjamin Mock | 30. May 2022

European-based Dota 2 team Entity have signed Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko, despite the controversy surrounding the player’s behavior that led to his release from Virtus.pro.

Pure was released from Virtus.pro at the end of April after drawing a “Z” symbol linked to support for the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine during a live Dota Pro Circuit match. The move has been met with skepticism from many fans, along with Pure’s release from the team and management changes.

Entity sign Pure

Entity announced the signing of Pure on May 29, along with an expanded statement about the roster move. Acknowledging the “PR nightmare” the signing will likely lead to, Entity defended the move:

“Our top priority was to be able to compete at our best. To maintain and improve our current performance in the DPC. We contemplated several options, but ended up deciding that Ivan would be the best fit for us”

The incident that led to Pure’s departure from Virtus.pro occurred during a Eastern Europe DPC Regional Playoff match in April, where during a game pause, Pure drew a “Z” symbol on the mini-map. The symbol is deeply rooted in Russian militarism and is widely viewed as pro-Russia statement, especially surrounding the invasion of Ukraine. Pure’s actions led to Virtus.pro being disqualified after the match.

In regards to the incident, Entity went on to address it in their statement:

“By talking with him about the incident, his personality and how he views Dota, we got to know Ivan. We understood that he meant no ill intentions towards anyone.”

The DoTA community was quick to note that Virtus.pro had released a video from Pure after the incident, in which he does not apologize for his actions.

Fans also railed against Entity’s focus on Pure’s “potential” and their apparent prioritizing of pure talent over a wider consideration of the player’s personality. This was further influenced by Entity’s comment concerning what they were looking for in a new player:

“Our goal was to find someone who was not just skilled, but also compatible with our personalities.”

Talent over actions

Focusing on a player’s talent over their actions is a common, and widely criticized, tactic employed by sports teams.

The move came on the same day that NAVI released Counter-Strike player Kirill “⁠Boombl4⁠” Mikhailov following numerous social posts from Boombl4’s wife that appeared to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Pure will join Entity at their boot camp in Poland as they prepare for the upcoming Western Europe DPC Tour. However, the fallout from this move is likely to hang over Entity for the foreseeable future.

Header: Entity