Dota: Evil Geniuses to leave North America, disband roster
A rumor has been circulating around the Dota community regarding Evil Geniuses. According to Dot Esports, EG is planning to move out of North America and enter South America to compete in the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit.
With the current state of Dota competition, it isn’t easy to make money outside of The International. The team needs to reach at least sixth place to make good money. EG is in a tough spot because its roster is full of top players with high salaries. However, during The International 2022, the team finished in 9th-12th place with a roster comprising Tal “Fly” Aizik, Artour “Arteezy” Babaev, Abed “Abed” Yusop, Egor “Nightfall” Grigorenko and Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen.
EG is reportedly ready to cut its losses and is looking for a greener pasture in SA. The team will let go of its Dota 2 roster, including coach Kanishka ‘Sam’ “BuLba” Sosale. If the rumor is true, there will be a massive shift in the North American Dota 2 scene. EG’s current players will be open for new contracts, allowing other teams to snatch high-level players to boost their roster.
EG plans to establish its new spot in South America by obtaining the new Thunder Awaken squad. According to Dot Esport, the new roster will consist of Christian “Pakazs” Savina, Farith “Matthew” Puente, Jose “Pandaboo” Padilla, Jean “Chris Luck” Salazar and Adrian “Wisper” Dobles.
“Evil Geniuses will need to acquire a South American slot in order to participate in the upper division and will need to figure out a way into the region,” Upcomer and Red Bull Gaming contributor Kenny Utama wrote. “They will also have to figure out what to do with their North American slot moving forward.”
Evil Geniuses’ former CEO confirms rumor
Former EG CEO Peter “ppd” Dager confirmed EG’s decision to move out of NA. He said the team had been planning it for quite some time.
“It makes sense to me, I think it’s smart,” Dager said. “I think Dota is just dead in NA and I don’t think there’s a trend that speaks differently.”
NA has been unable to provide rosters that can compete at high-level competitions since TI9. In comparison, SA’s rosters have steadily climbed up the rankings, and EG wants to capitalize on the talents in the region. Ppd said the move was also driven by the need to cut costs.
“EG has been looking for a reason to get out of their expensive Dota roster for a long time I think,” ppd said. “I was thinking if EG actually does well at TI are they going to keep the roster again? But I think this was a perfect storm for them to make a move.”
Evil Geniuses part ways with coaches
Besides coach BuLba, EG has parted ways with several coaches, including coaches Earl “Rigby” Han, Gabriel “Turtle” Peixoto, Connor “Artemis” Doyle and Sebastien “ZzLegendary” Demontigny.
The four coaches led the team to win its first LCS championship in 2022. The team also managed to reach the semi-finals in MSI 2022. Unfortunately, head coach Rigby had to step down to serve compulsory military service in South Korea.
“[It] hasn’t been a long time, but I’m thankful to the players, EG, and fans for being part of my short ride. It may have been the best career for me so far, but I hope the team can do better in the years to come,” Rigby said on Twitter.
Assistant coach Turtle also shared his gratitude on Twitter, saying that the team had given him a great opportunity.
“I finish this chapter happy and proud of what we achieved in 2022,” Turtle wrote.
Unlike Dota, Evil Geniuses will still be staying in NA for League of Legends. The team plans to attend the 2023 LCS Lock In.
