T1 replacement: Bleed Esports introduces first Dota 2 lineup for 2023 DPC

The new kid on the block is looking to make a splash. Bleed Esports has introduced a roster that mixes youth with experience to enter the Dota 2 scene. 

This roster was a work in progress dating back to Nov. 11 when the organization announced it would be entering Dota and signed analyst and caster Sean “Hades” Goh to scout talent in Southeast Asia. It is clear that scouting bore fruit since two players signed to the team are relatively new to the scene. 

After purchasing T1’s slot in Division I of the SEA Dota Pro Circuit, while the larger org bows out of Dota for the time being, Bleed is betting on the leadership of head coach Forev and DuBu, along with the explosiveness of JaCkky to balance out the bets it is taking on that mostly unproven talent. 

DuBu is swapping back to SEA after spending three years playing in North America—with his most recent stint on TSM ending after The International 11. Likewise, JaCkky parted ways with BOOM Esports after a decent run at TI11 and is now set to be the focal point of yet another roster.

As for the other three players on this new squad, Prieme “PlayHard” Banquil brings the most general experience, having played for various teams in SEA since late 2014. He is best known for his multiple stints with Neon Esports and Geek Gam over the last five years, where he played in a few notable lineups. 

Natthaphon “Masaros” Ouanphakdee is a much more recent addition to the SEA scene, having broken in with Motivate.Trust Gaming in February 2020 before being signed by Fnatic. His relevancy fell off in the 2022 season, but he has shown promise as a dynamic offlaner when he is in the right situations. 

The final player, Kordan, is relatively unknown to those who only watch the professional scene, but he is a monster in SEA pubs and has frequently been spotted in the top 10 for rankings within the region. Getting his first big break and jumping right into competing against other top talents in Division I matches is something Bleed hopes will help sharpen him into a dangerous player for years to come. 

Thanks to buying T1’s slot, this team will have roughly one month to boot camp and prepare for the start of the 2023 DPC’s Winter Tour in early January without needing to go through any form of qualifiers. Now, it is just a matter of seeing how well things mesh early on.