Cover-Credits:
Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, the former offlaner for Quest Esports, took to Twitter to provide an explanation for his sudden departure from the team. In the aftermath of the Bali Major 2023, Nigma Galaxy's loan to Quest expired, and as a result, the latter offered him a new deal instead of extending the loan agreement with Nigma. As ATF mentioned, there were some terms in his contract that he did not agree to, so Quest decided to part ways with him rather than extend the loan cycle, or play him as a stand-in offlaner at the Riyadh Masters 2023.
According to the organization's initial announcement of the departure of ATF, it was "unable to resolve the negotiation challenges."
ATF disappointed to miss Riyadh Masters 2023 after unexpected Quest Esports exit
After Quest refused to renew the loan contract with Nigma for "own reasons," ATF stated that he was given the option of accepting the new contract presented by Quest or being replaced by a stand-in at the Riyadh Masters.
He added that he made his decision not to go ahead with the contractual terms in "all respect." However, he was disappointed that he would now not be able to participate in the Riyadh Masters 2023 after being a member of the team when it qualified through the MENA qualifiers.
This year's Riyadh Masters is one of the most anticipated tournaments as it boasts a record prize pool of $15,000,000 USD, never before seen from a third party organizer.
After ATF cleared that Nigma did assist in every way possible, the organization also sent a subsequent tweet. According to Nigma, the team made efforts to explore various options for ATF to continue playing with Quest at the upcoming tournaments. However, it is not in the position to influence Quest “to provide desirable offers to players for them to commit longterm."
Quest Esports issues statement on ATF's departure
Following the statements from ATF and Nigma Galaxy, Quest Esports also commented on the matter explaining its perspective of the negotiations.
According to the statement, all parties initially agreed to a contract that stipulated ATF's loan would conclude after the Bali Major, along with a planned buyout. Quest Esports emphasized their unwavering adherence to this contract, fulfilling their obligations in its entirety. However, disappointment arose when the others involved expressed their desire to renegotiate the contract terms merely days before the upcoming Riyadh Masters tournament, which stood in direct opposition to Quest Esports' values. Consequently, the organization firmly declined the proposed changes.
Following the Bali Major's resounding success, ATF approached Quest Esports requesting new terms. Specifically, he sought an extension of his loan until after The International 2023. However, the condition that ATF would commit fully only if he participated in TI did not align with the team's core values. Quest Esports clarified that their commitment to the team surpasses individual and financial gains; it encompasses a profound love for the game and a collective pursuit of success. As such, they expect anyone who joins their ranks to share this vision.
Quest Esports also took the opportunity to highlight the abilities of their players, including TA2000, NO!OB, OmaR, and Kaori, emphasizing their status as some of the world's best. The organization underscored their belief in the strength of the team as a whole, embracing the importance of teamwork and respect for all players, recognizing that Dota is inherently a team game.
Despite the unexpected turn of events in the negotiations, Quest Esports expressed gratitude to ATF and Nigma for their contributions. The organization demonstrated respect for ATF's decisions and extended their best wishes for his future endeavors, displaying a commitment to maintaining positive relationships.
The parting of ways between ATF and Quest has surprised the Dota 2 community since the latter has had impressive results since the former joined the roster a few months back. The team even came very close to securing a direct invite to The International 12 at the Bali Major 2023 where it finished fourth.
Now that Quest needs to find a new offlaner, it remains to be seen if the team will be able to keep the momentum built up and perform well at Riyadh Masters 2023 and TI12's regional qualifiers.
