T1 disbands its Dota 2 roster ahead of potential competitive exit

The inevitable has come to pass, with T1 officially confirming its Dota 2 roster has disbanded following the conclusion of The International 2022 and ahead of a potential exit from the competitive scene. 

It took just under a month for the decision to be made public following the departure of head coach march and captain Kuku on Oct. 24—with the latter’s contract expiring. 

This was almost a given considering Kuku’s departure and his former Geek Fam teammates Whitemon and Xepher also announcing that their contracts had expired with the organization. The door was still open for renegotiation, but it appears after weighing its options, management within T1 has decided to pull the plug on the core that led it to its first success in Dota.

Along with the ex-Geek Fam trio, this means ana is back on the free-agent market again after a short stint with the team. His play over the two-month period with T1 was not exactly up to the two-time TI champion standard some fans expected to see. Still, he is now free to explore additional opportunities if he wants to continue competing. 

As for Topson, he was technically playing as a stand-in when he joined the team pre-TI11 regional qualifier alongside his former OG teammate. His contract has now reverted back to OG’s inactive roster, though unless OG plans to bring him on in some capacity to its current lineup he will likely be allowed to sign with another team for the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit. 

Related: MATUMBAMAN’s replacement is only move Liquid will make post-TI11 and huge hint suggests its Topson

This does officially mark the end of T1’s first true “era” in Dota, as the signing of Whitemon, Xepher, and Kuku during the 2021 DPC season brought the organization to the top of Southeast Asia. With a varied lineup of frontline players, that trio finished at the top of multiple Majors, including a win at ESL One Summer 2021 and an eventual top-seven finish at TI10.

Unfortunately, a slow season in a relatively underpowered region forced the team to shake things up and it didn’t pan out. Missing out on TI11 was just too much of a loss and now the org is potentially looking to move on from the game, as sources have noted Bleed eSports may be acquiring T1’s slot in SEA’s Division I for the upcoming DPC season. 

As of now, T1 has not made any comments on the future of its Dota division, but we know that Bleed has started scouting for a roster and there is barely a month before the open qualifiers for the next season begin.