Several of Dota 2’s biggest names, including Ceb and N0tail, have stepped away from the upcoming Games of the Future 2025 tournament after reviewing concerns about the event’s political ties.
Their decision follows heavy scrutiny from the Dota 2 community over the Abu Dhabi LAN’s connection to Russian state-backed initiatives and its 2024 edition, which featured Russian President Vladimir Putin during the opening ceremony.
Ceb confirmed the withdrawal through a statement on X (formerly Twitter), issued on behalf of the Monkey Business stack that includes him, N0tail, Topson, and other long-time collaborators.
In the message, he said the team had “decided to withdraw from the event” after taking time to understand the concerns surrounding the tournament. He elaborated by saying, “When an event becomes too politicized, for any reason, we prefer not to take part. We believe we should have the right to stay outside of these political matters and keep our focus on our passion and esports.”
He also acknowledged the intense community reaction, adding that “some of the reactions over the past days have been hurtful, even if we understand the concerns behind them,” and stressed that the team made sure to “seek proper information” before making their choice.
N0tail and Topson co-signed the statement, confirming that all three former The International champions with OG will no longer attend Games of the Future 2025 under the Monkey Business banner.
Streamer and former pro Gorgc, another member of the same lineup, later announced that he, along with pieliedie, would not participate either. He shared on his own channels that he would miss the event and that “maybe” they “will do something else in the future instead.”
The catalyst for much of the backlash was a widely shared Reddit post from Ukrainian ex-pro Ghostik. He claimed that Games of the Future was “entirely funded and utilized by the Russian government for its propaganda efforts,” pointing to Putin’s appearance at the 2024 event and suggesting that the upcoming Abu Dhabi edition is “the same tournament with the same objectives, just in a new location.”
He directly called on Ceb, N0tail, AdmiralBulldog, and other high-profile figures, asking, “Is it really worth taking that bloody money and becoming part of Russian propaganda by attending this event?” The thread quickly surged to the top of the Dota 2 subreddit, igniting widespread concern over participation in a government-linked tournament.
Games of the Future markets itself as a hybrid event combining phygital sports with esports and invited several “legend” Dota 2 stacks for its 2025 edition. Even so, community discussions emphasize that the tournament remains tied to Russian state structures.
Against the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and broader geopolitical tensions, many believe participating could be seen as lending legitimacy to state-driven narratives. As one commenter summarized, the issue is that this is essentially a “sportswashing ‘showmatch’ co-organized and co-funded by UAE and Putin.”
Several teams, including Nigma Galaxy and nouns, quietly withdrew from the 2024 event without providing public explanations. The renewed controversy surrounding the 2025 edition has brought the conversation back to the forefront, raising ongoing questions about how players and organizations should navigate politically charged esports events.
Published: Dec 9, 2025 03:44 am