Old G’s disqualification from the Western Europe DPC was a shock to Dota 2 fans, but it seems that the skillful use of large amounts of money has already solved the problem.
Just days ago, Old G was disqualified from a relegation tiebreaker in the lower division of the Western Europe DPC. It could have ended there, but public shaming of an admin led to harassment, which in turn led to the squad getting kicked from the closed qualifier. It looked like the end for OG’s notalgia-fueled roster, but it turns out that the richest players in esports can solve most problems on their own.
As of May 9, 2023, Old G’s players have registered to play in the DPC once again under the team ID of the same squad, they were forced to forfeit to.
Old G returns to the DPC, buys PuckChamp’s slot
The story starts with Old G’s disqualification. The team tied for 6th-7th with PuckChamp, requiring a tiebreaker to decide which team would be relegated out of the lower division. However, Old G couldn’t field four of its five players, so it would be automatically booted to the closed qualifier for the next tour. However, a callout tweet from Sébastien “Ceb” Debs led to harassment for the admin in charge, leading to it being booted from the closed qualifier entirely.
However, it seems that the problem has been solved with money. According to the official DPC registration website, PuckChamp, the team Old G would have tiebroken against, has sold its slot to Old G. The five players have been replaced with Old G’s stack, with the notable replacement of Roman “Resolut1on” Fomynok with Adam “Aramis” Moroz.
It appears that Old G purchased PuckChamp’s spot in the lower division, a deal that is allowed by Valve’s own rules. However, this case is particularly notable, as it effectively circumvents PGL admin’s decisions. The details of the deal are unknown, but PuckChamp’s players likely got a very pretty penny for the issue to be resolved in just over a day. PuckChamp can still compete in the next DPC tour, but it will need to fight its way through both the open and closed qualifier, just as Old G would have had to do.
