Ever since the conclusion of The International 2023, several organizations and teams have undergone drastic changes in pursuit of the best possible team composition for the upcoming 2024 competitive season. Amidst all these roster changes, a barrage of rumors has also been surfacing time and again.
In one such case, Russian Dota 2 caster Vladimir "Maelstorm" Kuzminov recently talked about a rumor that suggested the formation of an all-Russian roster featuring the likes of Roman "RAMZES666" Kushnarev, Gleb “kiyotaka” Zyryanov, and Aleksandr "Immersion" Khmeevskoi.
New Dota 2 Team Under Formation?
Russian Dota 2 caster Maelstrom recently took to Telegram to address a rumor that has surfaced. He wrote, “Another rumor. It makes no sense to believe in it before the official announcement, but what else can you do?” naming the five players who are speculated to be on this roster.
The team features former 9Pandas player RAMZES666, current 9Pandas mid-laner Kiyotaka, and Ilyas "kasane" Gainullin and Immersion, the two players who are fresh out of Tundra Esports. Lastly, the alleged roster is rounded out by Russian/Armenian player Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosian, who last player for Nemiga Gaming.
If the rumors are true then the new team would comprise of:
Roman "RAMZES666" Kushnarev
Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyryanov
Ilyas "kasane" Gainullin
Aleksandr "Immersion" Khmeevskoi
Vladimir "RodjER" Nikogosian
The roster notably features four free agents. RAZMES666 left 9Pandas last month to pursue his career beyond 9Pandas. RodjER last played for Nemiga Gaming and took part in the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 qualifier as a stand-in for Alexey "Solo" Berezin of 9Pandas. kasane and Immersion are the latest free agents in the scene as they parted ways with Tundra Esports on 2nd January. Meanwhile, kiyotaka is still registered as an active player on the 9Pandas roster.
While no sources are backing these claims of Maelstrom, it would certainly be interesting to see a team of such notable talents playing together. If the rumors are true then it would mean RAMZES666 and Kiyotaka will be joining hands once more to face challenges. It should be noted that RodjER has also previously played alongside RAMZES666 and Kiyotaka on 9Pandas during the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 closed qualifiers.
Readers should note that this is a mere rumor and has not been confirmed by any players or organizations. So, these speculations must be taken with a pinch of salt.
