Team Secret kicks iceiceice, add Resolut1on for TI11 qualifiers

A surprise roster change for Team Secret will swap Daryl “iceiceice” Koh and Roman “Resolut1on” Fomynok in the offlane role.

Team Secret has turned its former stand-in Resolut1ion into a full-time starter. Unfortunately, that also means cutting a fan-favorite offlaner. iceiceice has officially left the Team Secret organization, but a replacement has already been announced. The move could be spurred by the team’s lackluster performance in 2022 that included missing out on the Arlington Major.

The Team Secret organization confirmed the roster move through social media on August 3. The statement did not make it clear if the move was a kick, a mutual decision, or initiated by iceiceice himself. Minutes later, the team confirmed that Resolut1on would take his place. This decision comes nine months after his joining the organization.

Right before Riyadh Masters last month, Secret announced that Resolut1on would step in to play with Team Secret. iceiceice did not reveal why he was unable to attend, but there were a number of possibilities. He extended his absence to the Arlington Major, which begins on August 4. Between missing Riyadh’s $4 million prize pool and failing to qualify for the Arlington Major, iceiceice was forced to miss the two most important tournaments of 2022 so far.

Why did Team Secret kick iceiceice for Resolut1on?

Team Secret kicking iceiceice was likely due to the team’s lackluster performance in 2022.

iceiceice is one of the most famous Dota 2 players in the world, so kicking him couldn’t have been an easy decision. It’s possible that decorated Team Secret captain Clement “Puppey” Ivanov made the decision based on recent performance. Team Secret notably failed to qualify for the Stockholm Major after the second DPC tour. The same is true for the Arlington Major. This is not the performance that Secret is used to after several years at the top of the European region, and Puppey is famously fickle with his roster.

By missing out on multiple majors, Team Secret’s only path to The International 2022 is through qualifiers. Western Europe is a powerhouse region and only one team from the region can secure a trip through the bracket. This International will also feature a last-chance qualifier in Singapore.

As for iceiceice, the qualifiers are also his only chance to attend TI11 in his home country. He could step into another team in need of an offlaner.

The sudden nature of this kick could also imply that iceiceice already had plans to leave the team. He is one of the highest-earning Dota 2 pros of all time, and his social media shows that he loves spending time with his young family. But with the way retirements usually go in Dota 2, it’s likely that iceiceice probably hasn’t played his last pro games.