Cover-Credits:
The Dota 2 community was taken aback when rumors emerged about Nigma Galaxy's attempt to acquire a Division I slot in China from Piggy Killers. This information shared by former Chinese professional player Liu "Sylar" Jiajun on his stream, and the clip was reuploaded to Chinese website Bilibili, after the allegation went viral on Reddit. Nigma Galaxy allegedly offered a staggering $100,000 to Piggy Killers for the highly sought-after spot in the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) China 2023 Tour 3: Division I.
The offer was ultimately turned down as there were concerns from players of Piggy Killers that they could potentially be giving up one of China's slots for The International 12 to a foreign team.
Nigma Galaxy's Ambitious Move and Piggy Killers' Dilemma
As Piggy Killers clinched the promotion to Division I by triumphing in the DPC CN 2023 Tour 2, the team began exploring potential buyers for their slot. However, the deal encountered an unexpected hurdle as "one or two players" from Piggy Killers expressed reservations about giving the opportunity to a foreign team. This hesitation ultimately thwarted the sale and left Piggy Killers grappling with a difficult decision.
This move comes after Nigma Galaxy's former player, Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan, recently made a surprise move to Team Aster on loan and secured a spot in the upcoming Bali Major 2023 with Aster.
Gorgc and 33 react to the news
Popular streamer Janne “Gorgc” Stefanovski weighed in on the Nigma Galaxy and Piggy Killers saga in his recent livestream, labeling it as "huge news". Expressing his astonishment, Gorgc went on to discuss the news with Neta "33" Shapira, who had joined him to cast the ongoing DPC games. Gorgc shared his insights on the situation, highlighting the concerns raised by one or two players from Piggy Killers regarding granting a TI slot to foreign teams, commending their loyalty to the team and the region
"This is huge news, what the f*ck. We're gonna discuss this with Neta (33) for sure. But one or two players from Piggy Killers were worried about what if they gave a TI slot to foreign teams but they refused. Damn loyalty, I like that I guess, still, it's a lot of money to say no to, $100k? for a slot?" Gorgc said.
"Bro, look at this news on Reddit, by the way. I don't know how confirmed this is, but it was big. So, Nigma offered $100k USD to buy a China Div I slot, but they refused. I mean, if this is true, it's crazy," he added.
Following this, 33 proposed the idea of acquiring a North American slot instead, noting that the qualifiers in that region would likely be less difficult. Gorgc concurred, expressing agreement that China would not offer an easier competition compared to North America.
The Dota 2 community was surprised by Nigma Galaxy’s attempt to secure a Division I slot in China through a proposed buyout from Piggy Killers. Despite offering a substantial sum of $100,000, the deal was turned down due to concerns from certain players on Piggy Killers about relinquishing a spot for The International 12 to a foreign team.
The news garnered significant attention, with popular streamer Gorgc expressing his astonishment and discussing the situation with 33. Moving forward, it remains to be seen how Nigma Galaxy will navigate through the DPC, and whether they will play in Western Europe (WEU) Division I or try buying a Division I slot from a different team in a different region.
