Cover-Credits:
In a significant development in the Dota 2 esports offseason, three prominent players, Tal "Fly" Aizik, Abed "Abed" Yusop, and Andreas "Cr1t-" Nielsen, have officially been let go by Shopify Rebellion. With this, their longstanding collaboration of four years with Artour "Arteezy" Babaev has concluded.
These four former members of Evil Geniuses (EG) had been competing together as a unit since Abed's inclusion in EG back in 2019. Their journey led them to sign with Shopify Rebellion in the late stages of the previous year.
Shopify Rebellion Bids Farewell to Trio of Fly, Abed, and Cr1t-
After nearly a year with Shopify Rebellion, Fly, Abed, and Cr1t- achieved notable successes as a team. They secured a 4th-place finish at the Lima Major 2023, a 3rd-place finish at DreamLeague Season 19, and a 2nd-place finish at DreamLeague Season 21. However, their aspirations fell short at The International 2023 (TI12), where Shopify Rebellion concluded its campaign in a disappointing 13th-16th place.
Shopify Rebellion expressed gratitude for the memorable moments that it shared with this talented group of players in a tweet. The organization stressed the need for a fresh start for these veterans, hinting at plans for 2024.
It said, “Competing at T112 was a milestone achievement for Rebellion. Nonetheless, it became obvious that a fresh start for this group of long-time veterans was necessary for everyone involved to keep growing. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Crit, Abed, and Fly for their invaluable contributions to Rebellion. We wish them only the utmost success in their forthcoming endeavors.”
As a result, Shopify Rebellion is unlikely to participate in the upcoming ESL One Kuala Lumpur, as its roster is currently incomplete, and no replacements have been identified yet.
The current roster of Shopify Rebellion is as follows:
Artour "Arteezy" Babaev
TBD
Jonáš "SabeRLight-" Volek
TBD
TBD
Kanishka "BuLba" Sosale (Coach)
Taking to Twitter, Cr1t- expressed his sentiments, acknowledging his time spent in North America. He cherished the friendships and memories created during his journey and wished his former teammates the best in their future endeavors.
In another tweet, Cr1t- alluded to joining a new team, heralding a "new era" in his career with high aspirations and a fresh environment for learning. He also addressed the recent criticisms he's faced and vowed to return to peak performance in the upcoming year.
To stay updated on the latest developments in the Dota 2 offseason, be sure to follow AFK Gaming and our post-TI12 roster tracker.
