To the fans’ and the players’ surprise, Gaimin Gladiators, one of the best Dota 2 teams, is making changes to the roster after 23 months of relative inactivity.
The changes in the roster that were announced over Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 only affirmed that Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov, who has been with the team for more than three years, will be leaving. Replacing him as the new carry will be Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov who used to play for Cloud 9.
The announcement came in two parts on social media: First, Dyrachyo was announced to have left the team, and a day later, Watson joined the team. Gaimin Gladiators explained the gap between the announcements, attributing it to paperwork delays:
“The paperwork took longer than expected, which is why the announcement was delayed. Esports have come a long way that you need signed documents for an announcement to be made. Lol. Because of this, we had a little fun with fake leaks to mislead people and make them guess what was going on. So, sorry for the heart attacks! And no, Ace isn’t going anywhere.”
The last comment was made in an attempt to dispel rumors that not only the offlaner, Marcus ‘Ace’ Christensen, was leaving the team.
Dyrachyo’s departure is a big blow to Gaimin Gladiators as it brings to an end the era of this player. Dyrachyo was acquired from Team Tickles in 2022 and contributed to the team’s success in that year, qualifying for The International 2022. The next year the team skyrocketed as they acquired NA superstar Quinn “Quinn” Callahan and went on to win every Major in the final Dota Pro Circuit season of 2023. But, unfortunately, the team did not manage to win the TI, although they played incredibly well.
In 2024, Gaimin Gladiators remained a force to reckon with as they clinched the Riyadh Masters and came second at The International 2024.
Concerning Watson, he joins Gaimin Gladiators after a good stint with Cloud 9, where his team placed 5th-6th at TI13.
Audiences will not have to wait long to see the new lineup in action, as Gaimin Gladiators plan to showcase the new roster at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade later this month. After that, the team has qualified for DreamLeague Season 24, where Gaimin Gladiators has always been a strong contender. With Watson in the team, the team will be aiming to replicate their DreamLeague performance—making them a contender again.
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