T1 replaces Forev with ex-TNC off laner Sam_H for ESL One Thailand

Steven Rondina Published 19/08/2020

Korean organization T1 has announced the signing of Filipino offlaner Samson Enojosa “Sam_H” Hidalgo.

[T1 @DOTA2 Roster Update]
Please welcome Sam_H to our DOTA2 Squad!

[T1 DOTA2 로스터 안내]
T1 DOTA2 팀에 Samson “Sam_H” Solomon Enojosa Hidalgo 선수가 합류하게 되었습니다. 내일부터 펼쳐지는 ESL 대회에 많은 관심과 응원 부탁드립니다!#T1WIN #T1Fighting pic.twitter.com/nVOOZxPziN
— T1 (@T1) August 19, 2020

Sam_H will replace former captain Lee “Forev” Sang-don, who parted ways with the organization in July. Sam_H is likely a familiar name to Dota 2 fans, as he was a key figure in TNC’s rise to the top of the Dota 2 scene, including its surprise run at The International 2016.

More recently, Sam_H was on trial with Neon Esports before suddenly ending his stint with the team. Neon Esports revealed that Sam_H had decided to join another team.

The new T1 roster stands as follows:

Galvin “Meracle” Kang Jian Wen
Muhammad “inYourdreaM” Rizky
Samson Solomon Enojosa “Sam_H” Hidalgo
Tri “Jhocam” Kuncoro
Wilson “Poloson” Koh Chin Wei

Here’s what’s happening in Dota 2 right now:

T1 looking for a winning combination after Forev

Things have not gone as planned for T1. After revealing Forev as the first official member of their Dota 2 roster, the team experimented with a number of different lineups, with all of them yielding lackluster results. T1 brought in a number of trial lineups before revealing its first official roster with the signings of German mercenary Dominik “Black^” Reitmeier, Canadian support Yixaun “xuan” Guo and Indonesian duo Muhammad “inYourdreaM” Rizky and Tri “Jhocam” Kuncoro.

Although promising on paper, the team severely underperformed. Both Black and xuan were replaced with Singaporean veterans Wilson “Poloson” Wei, and Galvin “Meracle” Wen after a couple of weeks.

With four of the team’s players hailing from Singapore and Indonesia, the team employed two coaches, Korean veteran Pyo “MP” No-a and Singapore’s Nicholas “xFreedom” Lim to help ease communication issues. After the change, T1 slowly started finding its form with victories in regional events such as the Hephaestus Cup and SEA Dota Invitational 2020.

T1’s first real challenge came at ONE Esports Dota 2 SEA League where they managed a respectable fourth-place finish. Despite that, the team looked miles behind the likes of Fnatic, TNC, and Geek Fam.

We have been invited to the @ESLDota2 #ESLOne Thailand ????????

However, we will be playing without @iceiceicedota as takes a break until the restart of the DPC. Filling our offlane role for this tournament will be @DotaFoREv.

???? Let’s play some Dota! pic.twitter.com/Arnm1K1BJy
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) August 12, 2020

Shortly after the tournament, T1 announced that it will be parting ways with Forev. Although shocking at first, it was viewed as a necessary change.

The new T1 roster will make its debut this week in the group stage of ESL One Thailand. T1’s former captain Forev will also be competing at the event as a stand-in for Fnatic, replacing Daryl Koh “iceiceice“ Pei Xiang.

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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