Another NA Team Disbands as ex-Nouns Fail ESL Qualifiers
The North American Dota 2 scene has been hit by yet another team dissolution as the ex-nouns team disbands with most of the players looking for new teams.
North America’s Dota 2 Competitive Scene Crisis
North America’s Dota 2 competitive scene has been in a crisis, and the disbandment of ex-nouns is another chapter in this story. Shopify Rebellion, the only sponsored team in the region at the moment, qualified for the ESL Pro Tour tournament, which was a severe loss for ex-nouns or “Atlantic City” and led to the team’s disbanding.
Even when their sponsor pulled out earlier this year, the ex-nouns attempted to remain a team to complete the season. However, the financial and emotional pressure of competing without organizational support was too much. Team captain Tal “Fly” Aizik announced the news on social media stating the pressure of playing solo in a scene that is gradually shifting towards sponsored, more financially backed teams.
“Recent tournament results coupled with loss of our organization reduced morale and confidence.” — Tal “Fly” Aizik
Although ex-nouns were able to triumph over Shopify Rebellion in the Upper Bracket, they were unable to stand their ground in the Grand Finals and lost in a 3-0 sweep.
The Bleak Situation for North American Dota Teams
The situation for North American Dota teams has become rather bleak. Most teams participate for the fun of it, and some representatives of the region are from other parts of the world. The level of support is so low that most NA teams do not even have a logo, which speaks volumes about the problems in the region.
Ex-nouns has left a legacy of cutthroat competition in the region. They were one of the most challenging competitors of Shopify Rebellion, and they consistently beat them in qualifiers. The roster also demonstrated good gameplay at The International this year, where they stunned the public by defeating two-time champions Team Spirit in the Lower Bracket with a 2-0 sweep.
What Are the ex-Nouns Players Up to Now?
After Fly’s announcement, several ex-nouns members shared their plans:
- Rodrigo “Lelis” Santos — A Brazilian support player, Lelis is searching for a new team but remains dedicated to Dota 2 as a profession.
- Gunnar — Having changed positions from mid-lane to off-lane recently, Gunnar plans to go inactive to stream, noting that he misses streaming and wants to interact more with his audience on Twitch.
- Copy — The ex-nouns’ mid laner, Copy, has his sights set on reaching 15K MMR.
- DoublA (Coach) — The future plans of the team’s coach remain unknown.
- Yuma — Yuma has already found a new home on the South American team HEROIC, who are dealing with their own roster drama after dropping carry player Parker, a recent PGL Wallachia S2 winner. HEROIC will showcase their new roster at the BLAST Slam starting from November 26 to December 1.
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