BOOM Esports to Undergo Major Revamp to Dota 2 Lineup: Two Players Leave, Khezcute Retires
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Boom Esports has made a dramatic change to its Dota 2 team. Randy Muhammad "Dreamocel" Sapoetra, Brizio Adi "Hyde" Putra, and Alfi "Khezcute" Nelphyana, who all spent considerable time with the squad, have parted ways with BOOM Esports. Even more surprising is the fact that Khezcute, who served as the captain of the Indonesian squad, has retired from competitive Dota 2. This was announced by the organization's CEO, Gary Ongko Putra in a video statement on YouTube in which he discussed these three roster changes in detail and the team’s future plans.
BOOM Esports is down to two as Dreamocel and Hyde leave while Khezcute retires
BOOM Esports’ roster after these three changes is as follows:
TBD
Rafli Fathur "Mikoto" Rahman
Saieful "Fbz" Ilham
TBD
TBD
Gary initially discussed the team's run in the Dota 2 Pro Circuit (DPC) 2021 season, acknowledging they had mixed results in the season and did not qualify for The International 10 (TI10). Additionally, the team also got relegated to the Lower Division of the Southeast Asia (SEA) DPC after finishing seventh in the second season of the DPC 2021.
Gary gives his opinion on Khezcute
Gary also talked about Khezcute, who has stepped away from Dota 2’s competitive scene.
“I think the organization and the team definitely changed because he came into leadership and he was able to really grow and teach the younger kids like the Mikoto, Fbz, Dreamocel, Hyde, and Drew. I think we owe him a lot of debt. He was definitely the biggest impact for me, for BOOM as an organization. Without him, we would have never had anything close to this much success. So, Khezcute will be retiring and I wish him the best of luck in his future.”
Khezcute has been a member of BOOM Esports' roster for the longest time. His tenure with the team spanned four years, from 2017 to 2021. In particular, the team had a successful year in 2020, where it finished as runner ups in a number of Dota 2 tournaments.
BOOM Esports’ plans for the future
As Gary mentioned, they are now seeking new players out of Southeast Asian (SEA) teams that had not qualified for The International 10 (TI10). Furthermore, they are also considering international options.
“We try to find who is a free agent and who is not. What kind of lineup can we build. Maybe we will go international and what not. And yeah so I think, today with a heavy heart, we have some plans for the future, for the Dota 2 team but unfortunately, this plan will not be having Dreamocel and Hyde so we will be saying goodbye to Dreamocel and Hyde too,” Gary said as he wished both players the best of luck in their future endeavors.
BOOM Esports' CEO then presented information on what the organization plans to do going forward. First of all, there is good news for the fans of BOOM Esports - the team will compete in the DPC Lower Division next season. Furthermore, BOOM Esports is no longer particularly seeking an all-Indonesian roster. At the moment, the five-man lineup hasn't been finalized, but Gary said that the team hopes to provide an update in the next two to three weeks.
Gary and BOOM Esports’ message to the fans
Gary sent a heartfelt video message to all BOOM Esports fans. Due to the fact that the team could not attend TI in the past four years, he apologized to them. Furthermore, he mentioned how the fans had hoped to see an all-Indonesian dream lineup, but that would not be possible for the upcoming season, so he apologized for not living up to those expectations.
However, BOOM Esports will continue to represent Indonesia, strive to become better, and bring the name of the country to the highest level of Dota 2, Gary added.
“I will be doing my best this season to give all the BOOM Esports’ fans the best and a team that you guys can be proud of,” Gary said at the end of the video message, hoping that the fans would continue to support them.
