T1 announces all-Korean Dota 2 roster, including veteran Forev

Olivia Richman Published 10/10/2019

With lasting legacies in StarCraft and League of Legends, T1 is now hoping to have the same level of success in Dota 2. 

Although Dota 2 isn’t the most popular esport in South Korea, T1 will be entering upcoming tournaments with an all-Korean roster. In fact, this may be the country’s best chance today at leaving a lasting impression in the Dota 2 competitive scene. 

The current roster inclues Ha “Grace” Tae-eun, sn0w, and XemistrY. These players will be joining Sang-don “Forev” Lee, T1’s first official Dota 2 recruit. Forev is a seasoned Dota 2 player who played for J.Storm earlier in the year.

The 27-year-old has attended three editions of The International. As part of MVP Phoenix, Forev placed fifth at TI6.

Mental Proctor, who recently played for FNATIC, is said to be a possible stand-in. The team’s fifth player has yet to be announced. They will be chosen during a try-out period within the next two months, and it may even be a high-ranking player from a differenet MOBA title, like Heroes of the Storm or League of Legends. 

The final roster will first compete in an online tournament, the QI League.

T1’s taking another shot at Dota 2

This wasn’t the team formerly known as SK Telecom T1’s first time pursuing Dota 2. 

T1 first announced a Dota 2 team in August, hoping to qualify for The International 2019. That was when Forev was initially signed. The veteran formed Team Jinesbrus with four other seasoned professionals, including fellow T1 player XemistrY, along with Milan, chu, and benrur. 

It seemed promising, but a loss against Mineski in the final round of the regional qualifiers saw them just barely miss out on TI9. 

With a second team revolving aroud Forev, T1 is again hoping to make a splash in Dota 2. It’s still up in the air if their Dota 2 journey will turn Forev into the next Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, but some more reasonable goals might be a better starting point.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

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 ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

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

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 ...

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 ...