The team started following the former OG Dota 2 champions a few days before announcing that their mid-laner Karl ��Karl�� Baldovino and carry Kim ��Gabbi�� Santos were no longer part of the squad.?
ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!
We'd like to officially welcome the newest addition to our #DOTA2 roster, @TopsonDota(stand-in) & @anadota99.
Please support us as we prepare for TI11's SEA Qualifier.#T1WIN #T1Fighting #T1DOTA2 pic.twitter.com/2cSsQYnxo3
— T1 (@T1) August 16, 2022
?Both former T1 players left the team after their poor Dota Pro Circuit 2022 with their fifth-placed finish, capped by poor showings at Stockholm and in the Summer DPC.
T1 was also forced out of the most recent major.
?��All good things come to an end,�� the organization wrote on its Twitter page announcing both players�� departure.
��Today we announce the departure of Karl and Gabbi from our Dota 2 roster. Thank you for everything you��ve done and we wish them all the best for their future.��? ?
Ana and Topson��s signing was made in preparation for the upcoming The International 11 Qualifiers, as they would be part of the competing lineup. The competition will take place from September 3�C18.
While T1 recorded impressive results during the season, the two new players could be the boost they need to reach the status of solid contenders in major tournaments.
?Ana made his mark as a top player by being a part of the first team to win The International twice in a row. In his time at OG, along with Topson, they won TI8 and TI9 against PSG.LGD and Team Liquid. He notably had the highest average kills in each game in the EPICENTER Major 2019 with a score of 10.90.? ?
Prior to the signing, ana was a free agent and had gone on several hiatuses in his career. The player previously announced his retirement from Dota 2 esports but participated in a number of competitions as a stand-in.? ?In the time slot between the TI8 and TI9, the player took a break from OG, after which he went inactive. He returned to OG in 2021 to play one tour and then put his career on hold after the competition concluded.? ?Ana also notably stood in for Royal Never Give Up during the PGL Major Arlington 2022 and ended the competition with a 9-12th place. He also played for Team Liquid at the recently concluded Riyadh Masters.?
?Topson will continue his role as the team��s mid-laner. He is famous for his unconventional builds and aggressive mode of play as a mid-laner. The player��s highest average kills in a game is 9.43, which he recorded at The International 2019.? ?Topson previously announced that he was taking a break in November 2021, after the last TI, and since then has not been a part of Dota 2 competitions. The player reportedly went on a hiatus to spend some time with his new family of three in Malaysia.
During his time off, the 24-year-old occupied himself by growing his Twitch account and streaming content from Dota 2.? ?Topson will reportedly join T1 temporarily, unlike ana, and play as a team stand-in. Both players will be a part of the forthcoming SEA qualifier.
The players on T1��s current roster include ana, Topson, Kenny “Xepher” Deo, Carlo “Kuku” Palad, and Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon.? ?
The addition of Topson and ana is expected to give T1 an edge going into the The International 2022 Southeast Asia Qualifiers. The betting odds for the tournament are currently unavailable on all esports betting sites.
]]>As a result of the sudden nature of the situation, RNG came to an agreement with the famous retired Dota 2 player and two-time champion of The International Champion, ana. He would join the team for the period of the Major to cover in for Ghost at position one.
Ana, who has been absent from the competitive scene ever since he announced his retirement in June 2021, has recently given hints about returning to the professional scene, following his most recent participation with Team Liquid in place of Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen at the Riyadh Masters 2022.
At the Riyadh Masters, Team Liquid may not have had the best performance, but ana performed impressively in several of the team’s games, exhibiting his mastery of heroes like Spectre and Juggernaut. Although ana is a skilled player who can compete and even excel against other elite teams, RNG’s lack of Ghost is a significant loss for the team, especially considering that they have finally emerged from the shadow of other Chinese teams by winning the Spring Tour regional league.
There is a lot of pressure on RNG’s team to put up a great performance because this is the organization’s first Major competition in the past two years. RNG is presently positioned 15th on the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) with a total of 738.42 points, so this event is of considerable importance to them. Obtaining a high position could move the team above the DPC point threshold, allowing them to receive a direct invite in October to The International 2022.
According to reports, the current threshold to clear in order to receive a direct invite to The International is 1296 points; hence, the team will need to place in the top four in the event in order to accumulate 590 points for themselves. This criterion, on the other hand, is subject to change as the event progresses.
RNG is not the only team with visa challenges, although the team went arm’s length to make sure no shortcoming will affect players in this regard, their plight failed. Nonetheless, Ghost was the only player with visa problems; hence, there are no additional stand-ins on the RNG roster.
Other teams had more than just a player denied visa, Fnatic will be using three substitute players, OG will be playing without its captain and coach, Mikhail “Misha” Agatov and Evgenii “Chuvash” Makarov, on the other hand, Xtreme Gaming, have completely withdrawn from the Major.
The PGL Major Arlington will begin on August 4 and continue through August 8 with the group stage. After that, the playoffs will run from August 9 through August 14. There will be a total prize pool of $500,000 and 4,570 Pro Circuit points to be competed for by 17 different teams.
]]>