Valve may have announced a new DPC season for next year, but it looks like a weak attempt. Another Dota 2 team has thrown in the towel. This time, it’s a team playing in the Europe region - none other than Ninjas in Pyjamas.
NiP wasn't doing well, roster-wise, when the year started. Early on, there were issues with some team members. The organization decided in April to release the then roster and signed members from a team called Chicken Fighters. Since July, the team actually played with one stand-in after Akbar "SoNNeikO" Butaev announced his departure.
That change, though, did not lead the team to better performance. During the OMEGA League and ESL One Germany, the team ended up in pretty much the same placement. Their highest finish so far was 3rd place in both Dota Summit 13 and BTS Pro Series Season 3.
The organization revealed that Dota 2 remains to be one of the most difficult games. They described the game as unforgiving with a steep learning curve. While that game is indeed exciting, the organization had to make a decision. Not only to release the current roster but also to close the entire Europe Dota 2 division.
In a statement , NiP COO Jonas Gundersen explained that the unstable ecosystem finally took its toll. With no DPC and TI, financial stability became unclear, something many teams actually know and have experienced. It didn’t help that the EU region is where many of the talents are concentrated.
Gundersen added that NiP “is one of the most iconic teams in the world - competing for the biggest trophies is a core part of our DNA, and the road to that through EU is simply not viable at this point.” The decision to shut down the division had to be done. They would rethink their strategy and regional presence completely.
We’ve actually been covering Dota 2 roster movements for quite some time. In November alone, there were a lot of things that happened. For those who remember, Virtus.pro signed on a new roster with Evil Geniuses bringing on board a SEA veteran. The region also saw 5men and Tempo Esports disbanded. We’re not even including what’s going on in the SEA region.
We’ve asked it before and it looks like we get to ask again. Are there other teams throwing in the towel before the year ends?
