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The Filipino esports organization TNC Predator has decided to release its entire Dota 2 roster on Wednesday, September 15. The decision follows the organization’s announcement that it would be taking an extended hiatus from the Dota 2 competitive scene.
An Extended Hiatus
TNC Predator announced that the organization is planning on taking a brief hiatus from competitive Dota 2 to recharge. At the time, TNC Predator unveiled that the organization would only take a short break and keep the team together; however, it appears that the plans have since changed.
In the recent announcement, TNC Predator unveiled that they’re parting ways with their entire roster. As a result, Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte, Armel Paul “Armel” Tabios, Jun “Bok” Kanehara, Timothy John “Tims” Randrup, and Marvin “Boomy” Rushton will all enter free agency on Wednesday, September 15.
“It’s been quite the journey these past three to four years,” read the announcement.
“On September 15, 2021, TNC Predator will announce the free agency of its full roster. TNC and its players have discussed in terms of individual growth and agreed that this would be the best decision moving forward.”
It was not revealed why TNC Predator decided to this drastic measure; however, it’s likely that the team’s failed attempt at qualifying for The International 10 had something to do with it.
End Of An Era
Although TNC Predator are likely to return to the professional Dota 2 scene, the disbandment of their roster marks an end of an era. TNC Predator emerged as one of the best SEA Dota 2 esports teams, and while the team never won TI, they have plenty of accolades to show for.
Some of TNC Predator’s most notable accomplishments include gold medals from World Electronic Sports Games 2016 and 2017. In recent years, they also won ESL One Hamburg 2019, MDL Chengdu Major, and ESL One Thailand 2020: Asia.
TNC Predator’s best performance at The International happened in 2016 when they placed seventh-eight. They’ve since managed two ninth-12th finishes in 2017 and 2019 and a 13th-16th-place finish in 2018.
Although TNC Predator will no longer field a Dota 2 division, their players likely won’t have a hard time finding a new home. There will, however, come a challenge for Gabbi, Tims, and Armel.
The trio are the core of TNC, having been playing almost exclusively for TNC since 2018. Tims is the longest-serving member of the organization, having joined TNC in December 2016.
“It’s been quite the journey these past three to four years, especially with Tims, Armel and Gabbi,” said TNC.
“TNC has broken several barriers and overcome many obstacles during this period, and we are grateful to have had such talented players spearheading the growth of Philippine esports on a global scale.”
The trio will want to stick together; however, it’s unlikely any team is prepared to sign all three. Still, plenty of SEA teams will want to rebuild their Dota 2 divisions for the 2022 season.
Future of The Roster
It remains to be seen what the future holds in store for Armel, Bok, Tims, Boomy, and Gabbi. Some suggest the quintet will continue competing together as an independent stack, albeit there are no official announcements just yet.
With plenty of SEA teams looking to start fresh in 2022, most former TNC members will likely get a chance to play as stand-ins. All five have made a name for themselves this term, leading TNC to the title of Asia Pacific Predator League 2020/21 – APAC champions and a silver medal at the Dota Pro Circuit 2021: S2 – Southeast Asia Upper Division.
The quintet have yet to comment about their future; however, more information should become available in the coming weeks. The team will officially disband on September 15, when TNC will release an official statement about their future involvement in the Dota 2 scene.
You can check out TNC’s exclusive interview with its members on the team’s Facebook page. The interview will also likely include reasons behind the organization’s decision to disband its project.