win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 Dota 2 pro says he was kicked from team over mother’s death

Dota 2 pro says he was kicked from team over mother's death

Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina Published 20/05/2022
Google Preferred Source

Michael “ninjaboogie” Ross says he was kicked from Team SMG in a particularly heartless fashion that had to do with the passing of his mother.

The veteran support player was kicked from Team SMG on May 20, with the organization announcing the news on Twitter and other social media channels. The team had finished sixth in the SEA Dota Pro Circuit league’s second tour, and many other similarly positioned teams are making changes as well. But according to ninjaboogie, the reason for his exit wasn’t the team’s poor performance. He says he was kicked from the organization because of concerns that the recent death of his mother would impact his performance. He later discussed the move in greater depth on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/ninjaboogie/status/1527572406444797952

“I was supposed to fly back and join the team on the 14th. My mom had a stroke on the evening of 12th and was admitted. I asked if i could have my flight moved as bootcamp starts on the 20th. [Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng] gave me a call on the 14th asking my decision. I gave my decision the following day and was informed he wanted to talk. They had a meeting without me and informed me the were going to continue without me,” ninjaboogie said on Twitter.

Alongside this, ninjaboogie included what is seemingly a text message sent to MidOne. The message includes ninjaboogie saying “I am certain I want to play” but that he wasn’t going to leave his mother in a trying time.

https://twitter.com/ninjaboogie/status/1527666752649252864

What’s next after ninjaboogie’s kick from Team SMG?

ninjaboogie’s kick garnered widespread sympathy from others in the pro Dota 2 scene. Many fans and peers within the pro scene offered their condolences. His former organization and teammates were noticeably silent, not posting anything since the news was broken.

With ninjaboogie out, Team SMG has the following players on its roster:

It is unknown who will be replacing ninjaboogie on the Team SMG roster. The next tour of the Dota Pro Circuit is set to begin around June 5. Team SMG placed sixth in the second Dota Pro Circuit tour and will be looking to climb into qualification for the PGL Arlington Major.

ninjaboogie finds himself in an awkward position, being left teamless ahead of the last tour of the season before The International 2022. It’s possible another team may scoop him up, or he could hastily put a new roster together in time for open qualifiers for the third tour. The most likely situation is ninjaboogie trying to join an existing team ahead of the TI11 qualifiers.

Steven Rondina Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile
Read Also
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Dota 2
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Michael Hassall The Dota 2 competition at The Esports World Cup 2026 was shaken to its core during the Survival Stage earlier in the week when Southeast Asian-backed, South American team PTime (better known as PlayTime) were removed from the event citing “integrity concerns.” While the case is still ongoing, and none of the accused confirmed to be guilty, one of the biggest questions behind the incident was just how these concerns ...
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Dota 2
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Michael Hassall Filipino organization PlayTime Esports has been removed from the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 competition following an intervention by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and a ruling by the Esports Foundation and EWC. Following a postponement of the PTime vs. Vici Gaming Survival Stage matchup on July 14, ESIC announced that it was actively investigating two members of the South American-based PTime organization, Team Captain Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera and ...
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Dota 2
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Michael Hassall A titanic 24 teams are set to compete in Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in one of the largest events of the competitive season. These two dozen organizations are set to take over the Paris Convention Center, filling it with top-tier competitive Dota 2 action. With a $2,000,000 USD prize pool, the largest on the Dota 2 calendar, there’s everything to play for in the final major ...
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Dota 2
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Wasif Ahmed Dota 2 is a complex and interesting game that requires skill, strategy and teamwork to be successful. Having said that, one of the best ways to improve your MMR is by learning certain Dota 2 combos that have proven themselves over time. It’s worth knowing that there are not that many Dota 2 combos that have survived the test of time because every new patch changes the game’s meta. Nevertheless, ...
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Dota 2
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Michael Hassall If you were an Axe player in Dota 2 earlier this week, you’d have found yourself out of luck when you tried to pick the stalwart Oglodi warrior, as the hero was straight up removed from the game on June 23. The hero was completely missing from All-Pick and his hero model was replaced with a missing poster. Axe couldn’t even be demoed or picked in a custom game for ...
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Dota 2
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...