One of the most important organizations in the world and, above all, within the Dota 2 competitive scene in Southeast Asia, Fnatic, has announced that it is temporarily retiring from the game.
After ten years of being one of the teams that constantly qualified for The International and of dominating the DPC SEA for many years, this organization has unexpectedly said goodbye to this esports. The team announced all this through a statement on their official blog.
After reflecting on the sustainability of our DOTA 2 roster, we've made the difficult decision to temporarily withdraw from the title.
Above all, we want to thank the ever-passionate SEA audience and all players and staff that have supported us with the title. Read more:
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) February 10, 2023
Disappointing start of 2023 for Fnatic
Undoubtedly, the DPC SEA 2023 Tour 1: Division I proved to be really complicated for one of the most notable organizations in the Dota 2 scene. With the first part of this tour coming to an end, the squad composed of Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte, Damien “kpii” Chok, Armel “Armel” Tabios, Djardel “DJ” Mampusti and Jaunuel “Jaunuel” Arcilla dropped to the second division. This caused the organization to leave the Dota 2 scene temporarily.
We all expected Fnatic to have absolute dominance of the SEA region after changing their roster. They recently incorporated the excellent players kpii and Gabbi, but it was the opposite. The team did not live up to the expectations. In addition, as we already mentioned, they were demoted to the second division after ending the first season with the lowest record in the league—a dismal 1-6.
Fnatic, in their blog, said:
“Recently, we’ve felt compelled to reflect on the sustainability and future of the title for Fnatic, and ultimately, to make a difficult but necessary decision to temporarily withdraw from the DOTA 2 pro circuit. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the players, staff, and members who have been a part of this incredible journey, alongside our incredible fanbase who have made our journey in the SEA region so special.”
While the organization has stated that they have assessed the “viability of the Dota 2 environment,” it is unclear why Fnatic decided to leave the scene.
It all started to go wrong from TI11 onwards
Even though Fnatic attended The International for the ninth time, the team’s career was not good, as they finished this tournament ranked 13th. Due to this result, the organization decided to make changes in their lineup and incorporate several legendary players from the region, but as we can see, nothing went as expected.
About the players in Fnatic’s Dota 2 squad, the organization said:
“We are working hard to source a new home for our existing Dota players and staff before formally leaving the DPC Tour 2023. The current roster will continue to represent Fnatic through the ongoing BTS Pro Series, after which we will support each of them as they explore their next steps in their careers.”
While many organizations have decided to dabble in Dota 2 over the years, Fnatic has been around since its inception. However, the organization announced its first Dota 2 squad in 2011, and this is the first time in 10 years that they have announced a move away from the scene.
Header: Fnatic
