KheZu and Vega Squadron disband after rocky results

Steven Rondina Published 02/03/2019

Vega Squadron once again finds itself without a Dota 2 team.

Following a string of failed qualifier attempts and poor results in tournaments, the European team is disbanding. The news was announced by Petu “Peksu” Vaatainen on Twitter.

Initially a stack of European journeymen that competed as Team Lithium, the team was signed to Vega Squadron in November following the release of its previous CIS team led by Semion “CemaTheSlayer” Krivulya.

The new roster included star offlaner Maurice “KheZu” Gutmann and former Ad Finem standout Verros “Maybe Next Time” Apostolos, but quickly found itself struggling to find success in a loaded European region.

Despite consistently working its way through open qualifiers, Vega couldn’t clear compete with elite teams like Team Secret and Team Liquid. Though Vega competed in the first minor of the season, even those opportunities became more elusive as Ninjas in Pyjamas and OG gained in strength.

Vega managed to stay active in various regional tournaments but never had the look of a serious contender and never placed higher than fifth at an event.

The wheels started coming off in January with the departure of mid laner Anas “MagE-” Hirzallah. Though Vega managed to field a replacement, it fared no better in February as the team failed to make the cut for both the Stockholm Major and StarLadder Minor, then flopped in the WePlay! Dota 2 Valentine Madness tournament. The final straw came when Maybe Next Time announced his departure from the team.

Though the team fizzles out with no real achievements to its name, its individual players remain serious talents. Many of them have already announced plans to join or build new teams, which should make for an interesting series of roster changes following the Stockholm Major.

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.

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