What’s going on with EG’s former North American Dota 2 roster?

The reports that Cloud9 and 100 Thieves were in negotiations with the former Evil Geniuses lineup have been refuted, leaving the future of the free-agent team in limbo.

For years, EG has been the strongest Dota 2 team in North America. They won the Aegis of Champions at The International 2015 (TI5) and finished in third place at three consecutive TIs. However, EG’s performance plummeted in their most recent appearances at international tournaments, including the most recent TI11, where EG lost every game it played in the Main Event. This forced the organization to release the whole squad and relocate to South America. 

In the wake of the departure of Evil Geniuses from the North American Dota 2 scene, five of the best players from the region have become free agents all at once. However, with several players insisting on sticking together and multiple NA organizations interested in the players, everyone is eager to find out what the future holds for the former EG players.

With certain changes, the former EG roster will remain together

Tal “Fly” Aizik, the former captain of the Evil Geniuses, stated on a Twitch live stream that the team would largely remain together despite being ousted by their organization. He confirmed that the team would still compete in the North American (NA) region, despite certain squad changes from the previous EG. Fly cautioned the audience not to accept everything they see or read in response to the rumors and comments on the roster move.

Fly is certain that the NA region will recover despite the continuous uncertainty brought on by the absence of organizations’ participation, which has been made worse by EG’s departure. In addition, Fly holds the DPC spot for Division I, which means that no matter what shape the team takes in the upcoming months, they will be competing in the top-tier event in the 2023 DPC season.

100 Thieves and Cloud9 shut the door on EG’s former roster

Only a few days after EG switched from the North American to the South American scene, numerous sources indicated that the old lineup was in talks with a number of North American organizations, including Cloud9 and 100 Thieves. With rosters that included Johan “pieliedie” Åström, Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling, Rasmus “MISERY” Filipsen, and Wu “Sneyking” Jingjun in the past, Cloud9 is a popular name within the North American Dota 2 scene. As for 100 Thieves, they are yet to enter the Dota 2 scene. 

However, after the rumors went public, representatives from both organizations denied the rumors. In response to the speculations, Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne clarified that his organization is not in talks with the ex-EG team. 100T also denied their involvement, with its Vice President of esports Jacob “Maelk” Toft-Andersen confirming that the organization is not in talks with the former EG roster. Since C9 and 100T are no longer involved, Fly and the team stand alone without a guiding hand, but the juggernauts will undoubtedly return in the 2023 DPC season to continue their legacy.

Header: Valve