Shopify Rebellion crashed and burned hard at The International 2023, and the poor result may lead to a disband after the team’s core departs.
Fans of Artour “Arteezy” Babaev just can’t catch a break, as the carry supreme’s team has officially exploded. Supports Tal “Fly” Aizik and Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen as well as mid laner Abed Yusop have officially left the team, leaving North America’s most stacked roster in flux. Here are details on the Shopify Rebellion changes, if it could lead to a disband, and what the players may do once the dust settles.
The roster changes were announced on November 8, 2023, through Shopify Rebellion’s
official social media channels. The brief statement thanked the players for their time on the team and wished them luck in future endeavors. The statement also noted that the squad fell short of its goals in the 2023 DPC, all but confirming that the squad’s poor TI 2023 performance was the cause for change.
Shopify entered this year’s TI as a dark horse to win with plenty of international experience and individual talent. However, the team struggled in the group stage going 0-2-2. After losing the decider match to
eventual champion Team Spirit, the squad immediately lost 0-2 to fellow NA stack TSM to fall out of contention. This was a massive disappointment for the team, enough for multiple fan favorites to be kicked.
After three leave, will Shopify Rebellion disband?
With the majority of the team gone, Shopify Rebellion will either have to disband or completely rebuild its roster around the two remaining players.
Offlaner Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek and Arteezy have yet to share their plans for the 2024 DPC. They could stay with the team and attempt to form a new lineup or leave entirely. However, Shopify Rebellion still holds the rights to the team’s Dota Pro Circuit slot, so leaving would mean attempting to qualify from the open qualifiers. The fact that Shopify only publicized the three kicks likely means that the two have plans to stay. The pair also have considerable star power, which may play a role in their continued sponsorship.
As for where the former players will go, Cr1t- is the only one of them to issue a statement. He thanked Shopify and his former teammates before hinting at a potential return to Europe. While no plans were confirmed, Cr1t- expressed that he had spent a long time in the North American scene. The double Major champion has spent the majority of his career in Western Europe, and the current roster shuffle could open up a spot for him.
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