As the 2019-2020 Dota 2 competitive season begins, it is interesting to see who will be part of the first Minor and Major. Apparently, a good number of pro players have decided to skip this event in order to have more time to recover and prepare.
As of this writing, there are at least two teams that have officially announced their extended vacation. These are none other than Team Secret and PSG.LGD, and they are expected to be on a competitive break until at least December this year.
PSG.LGD Gaming were the first team to announce their decision to give their Dota 2 players more time to recover. Just four days after The International 9 ended, the esports organization announced that the team will not undergo any roster change, although it will mean skipping the first Major as Linsen “fy” Xu will take a three month break to undergo eye surgery. The much-needed break is also meant to give him enough time to recover after the procedure.
Dota2 Announcement:
— LGD Gaming (@LGDgaming) August 29, 2019
1. Yao '357' Yi leaves the team and we send him our most sincere wishes.
2. Xu 'FY' Linsen will return to the team after 3 month rest due to eye surgery.
3. PSG.LGD will miss first Major event of the new season.
Full Story: https://t.co/HWQpJSYaCK #LGDWin pic.twitter.com/nkpnzuZyZi
Team Secret, on the other hand, made their decision public. They announced their extended break only a few days before the roster lock deadline. Just last month, they assured their fans that they will have no roster updates to make “at this moment in time,” and that their first LAN appearance will be in mid-December at the ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore.
Reflecting on the 2018-19 Dota 2 Season, and moving forward.
— Team Secret (@teamsecret) September 26, 2019
? https://t.co/a9HzKsnnkV#SecretDota #SecretFighting pic.twitter.com/yLWrbzrNdN
Considering OG’s run and being TI champions two years in a row, there is no doubt that the they will be on a hiatus as well. Interestingly, though, the Dota 2 pro organization has yet to announce anything official in this regard. So, it is possible that fans might be able to see them again at the early stage of this year’s Dota Pro Circuit.
Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen announced on Twitter sometime last month that he will be spending some quality time with his family and “think about the future.” He did not, however, provide a timeline as to when he will be coming back. Meanwhile, Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen will be taking a break after experiencing a rough end of the season, not to mention the disappointing TI9 record his team had. Due to all of these, fans will not see him until the second Major of the season.
