The king has fallen.
Southeast Asian giants Fnatic will be suspending its Dota 2 division “temporarily,” the organization announced last night.
“Recently we have been forced 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,” Fnatic wrote in its announcement.
This follows an uncharacteristically poor showing from the roster, who went 1-6 in the first season of the DPC SEA Division I and were thus relegated to Division II.
The roster will stay together, and continue their run in Beyond The Summit’s Pro Series Season 14, which they were invited to. The SEA org wrote that it would be attempting to “source a new home” for its players and staff before formalizing its departure from the DPC.
Fnatic’s roster for DPC 2023
- Kim “Gabbi” Santos
- Armel “Armel” Tabios
- Damien “kpii” Sau-jing
- Djardel “DJ” Mampusti
- Jaunuel “Jaunuel” Arcilla
Fnatic first entered the Dota 2 scene in 2011 with a Serbian roster, before rising to fame with Johan “N0tail” Sundstein’s Heroes of Newerth team in 2012. The organization then moved to Southeast Asia in 2015, and became one of the region’s most successful teams.
Fnatic became a household name amongst SEA fans, gaining renown as one of the best and most consistent teams throughout the existence of the Dota Pro Circuit. A bevy of talent has gone through Fnatic’s doors, including Daryl “iceiceice” Koh, Abed “Abed” Yusop, Saahil “Universe” Arora, and Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng.
The org has attended Dota’s premier TI every year since 2013 — marking a nine-year streak, and tied with Evil Geniuses for the second-highest attendance at the event, behind LGD’s 10. Fnatic’s highest-ever finish at The International was fourth at TI6, led by Malaysian legend Chai “Mushi” Yee Fung.
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