Western Aegis Agenda: Crownfall Chaos, Smileys, Swaps, and Smashes

Welcome to this week’s roundup of Western Dota 2 shenanigans, where the biggest bombshell was actually the much-anticipated Crownfall update. After months of hype and wild speculation, the update finally landed in mid-April, and surprise, surprise—it's missing a balance patch. That's right, folks, the Dota 2 community got all dressed up with nowhere to go. But hey, are we really surprised? In the grand tradition of Dota fandom, where complaining is almost as cherished as the game itself, the lack of a balance patch has fans lighting up /r/dota 2 like it's the Fourth of July—only with more fireworks and less patriotism. So that has overshadowed almost all the big developments in Western Dota 2 this week.

But don’t worry, AFK Gaming has got you covered over, here’s everything you may have missed if you were busy farming up double down tokens in the Crownfall update.

The One Time Skiter Did Not Approve His Teammates Trashtalk

While Dota 2 offers a multitude of weapons for teams to use, perhaps the most effective and brutal one might just be—a smiley face. But not just any smiley. We're talking about the controversial, game-ending, talk-of-the-town smiley tossed out by Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak of Team Falcons, right after snatching a win against Xtreme Gaming at the BetBoom Dacha tournament. Enter Oliver "skiter" Lepko, the team's safelaner and newly minted moral compass, who wasn't all smiles about the emoji escapade.

Skiter, in a candid moment of revelation, explained that although he was usually amused by his teammates' antics, there was one instance when he believed they had gone too far. “The only time I ever told him that I think he crossed the line is when we already won the series against Xtreme and he started all chatting him,” skiter shared, pulling back the curtain on the not-so-sporting post-game conduct. His take? Dropping a smiley after the match is won is less GG (good game) and more BM (bad manners).

 “That’s why I was like—you crossed the line. It only comes across as malicious because you already won the series—why would you make him feel worse? There’s no point to this,” he admonished, becoming an unlikely champion for Dota 2 purists.

Skiter however explained that he was usually fine with his teammates’ trashtalk and that there is no spite behind it. “They just do it based on feeling. Sometimes, Malr1ne feels like he is going to all chat someone and that’s it. It doesn’t really go beyond that, you know. So, that’s why when people think there’s more to it, it is really not. He’s just trying to tilt the enemy to give us a higher chance and that’s pretty much it. It doesn’t really go further than that. And I support it,” he explained.

Following this incident, Malr1ne, faced with his teammate's disapproval, issued an apology—albeit indirectly and wrapped in layers of friendly banter and lost-in-translation nuances, courtesy of a diplomatic intermediary from Xtreme, Zhao "XinQ" Zixing. Whether this emoji mea culpa smoothed over the ruffled feathers remains a mystery.

As for payback? Xtreme Gaming didn’t just lick their wounds; they crafted a comeback worthy of an esports epic. Flash forward to the Elite League 2024, where they snagged the crown with a 3-1 score and served the Falcons a dish best served cold—pauses, tips, and a flurry of ‘?’s and ‘ez’ comments. Talk about turning the tables with style

Nigma Galaxy Swipes Left on Matthew After Trial Run

It’s the season of changes at Nigma Galaxy, and not even Farith "Matthew" Puente, their position four sparkplug, is immune. After a three-month trial—marked more by turbulence than triumphs—the team tweeted a courteous yet crisp goodbye, signaling a split both amicable and inevitable as the Esports World Cup approaches.

“Our trial period with @MatthewDotaaa has ended and we mutually decided to part ways. Thank you for everything and we wish you the best,” the tweet read, effectively closing the chapter on Matthew's brief but memorable stint.

Jumping into a squad that had missed the mark on qualifying for early 2024’s tier-one tournaments, Matthew was supposed to be part of a dynamic duo with Fbz that would steer Nigma back to winning ways. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work. Their only modest success was a forgettable 20th-22nd place finish at the Elite League—far from the glory days of yore.

Post-tweet, Matthew hit Twitter to express gratitude and announce his readiness to join new teams, globe-trotting style. As for Nigma, with the Riyadh Masters 2024 peeking around the corner, the rumor mill is churning. Will GH return? Will a fresh face take up the mantle? Stay tuned—Nigma’s got moves to make and little time to make them.

Gorgc Smashes the 11K MMR Ceiling, Claims "World First" in Dota 2

Janne "Gorgc" Stefanovski, the Dota 2 phenom and Twitch sensation, finally clinched the 11,000 MMR mark live for his legion of fans—after dodging near-misses six excruciating times. Celebrating his win on April 17, 2024, Gorgc couldn't help but cheekily crown himself the "world's first 11,000 MMR player."

"Guys, finally! What a relief, dude. I've never felt anything like this, ever," Gorgc gushed after a game-changing victory with his trusty Bristleback. The road to 11K was fraught with what-ifs and sleepless nights, as Gorgc lamented over each close call. "Six times, I was one game off. Many sleepless nights thinking, 'Oh f**k, if only I picked this hero...'," he shared, giving us a peek into the obsessive grind of top-tier Dota.

While he acknowledged the presence of higher MMR titans, for Gorgc, this personal victory was a saga unto itself. "Thank f**king god, dude. World first, you know? It's in the books, guys. Miracle first 10k, Gorgc first 11k," he joked, setting his sights on the next frontier: the mythical 12,000 MMR.

With 11,000 MMR in his rearview, the question isn’t just if Gorgc will chase down 12K, but how many sleepless nights it’ll take him to get there.