After all the changes we’ve seen in China we thought the reshuffle would come to an end. We couldn’t be more wrong as iceiceice and eyyou left Fnatic.
The Dota 2 powerhouse in SEA, Fnatic loses two players and will be playing with stand-ins in the upcoming BTS Pro Series Season 3 SEA.
An update on Fnatic Dota 2
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) September 16, 2020
Iceiceice Out of Fnatic
The heart of Fnatic’s Dota 2 team Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang will soon be looking for a new team. The legendary veteran has been an integral part of Fnatic’s Dota 2 squad since 2018 and led the team to a lot of success, turning it into the best one in the region:
Daryl has been the heart of the Fnatic Dota 2 roster since joining in September 2018. Since then he has been an exceptional leader and example to the team, helping us become SEA’s best Dota 2 roster. Daryl drove us to achieve TI9 qualification, a 3rd place finish at the Stockholm Major, and our 5-tournament winning streak at the start of 2020. We will miss the classic iceiceice antics
In the official Fnatic blog post it quickly becomes apparent that iceiceice was the one who decided to look for a new team as the player didn’t want to extend his contract:
Today, we announce that Daryl “iceiceice” Koh’s contract with Fnatic has expired and he has opted not to renew it for the following year. The choice to not renew his contract with Fnatic was made by Daryl as he gained an interest in playing for another region while extending his break.
Not too long ago, Daryl announced he’ll be taking a short break from the game. Whether he plans to extend that until the start of next season remains to be seen but according to Fnatic, we’ll see him in another region. Could it be in Europe this time? Previously iceiceice has played in China, so a return there is likely, especially considering all the recent roster changes.
Eyyou Leaves on Mutual Agreement
Well, that was quick! Just a week ago, Fnatic announced they will be replacing Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong with Nico "eyyou" Barcelon. The latter was also supposed to take the captain’s mantle for the team but judging by the result that didn’t go too well. Barcelon joined the Fnatic lineup on September 9.
We will also immediately be releasing Nico ‘eyyou’ Barcelon from our roster. After trialing Nico for one week as captain, we have mutually agreed that it’s best for us to part ways.
Fnatic acknowledged that the process of rebuilding the team won’t be easy but they’re ready to make the necessary sacrifices in order to remain the top squad in the region.
We know the future of Fnatic Dota is bright. Our mission to be a successful force on the international stage hasn’t changed. We have a core of dedicated players in MooN, DJ and Raven that we are confident we can build a competitive roster around. That’s why we will be trialing new players for the offlane and hard support roles until we find the right mix of competitive profile and team chemistry.
Fnatic’s current roster is as follows:
- Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto
- Kam “Moon” Boon Seng
- Djardel “DJ” Mampusti
For the upcoming BTS Pro Series Season 3 SEA Fnatic will once again use Sang-Don “FoREv” Lee as a stand-in for iceiceice. The second sub will be Kenny “Xepher” Deo who’ll be filling in for eyyou as the position 5.
What do you think about Fnatic’s recent roster changes? Will they still come out on top of the BTS Pro Series? Share your opinion on our Facebook page!
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