T1 finally confirms the addition of Gabbi into its Dota 2 roster, replacing 23savage.
The Filipino carry player, Kim "Gabbi" Villafuerte Santos has officially been added to T1's lineup after standing in for the team during the SEA DPC Regional Finals. He was taken as a stand-in to replace Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon ahead of the tournament. Even though the team had a great start, they finished at 2nd place behind BOOM Esports. Following the conclusion of the SEA's Winter Tour DPC, T1 officially confirms Gabbi's addition to the roster.
Gabbi reunites with former captain Kuku in T1
The carry player most recently played for the newly formed Dota 2 team, Talon Esports. Alongside huge profiles such as Tal "Fly" Aizik and Damien "kpii" Chok, Gabbi competed in the SEA 2021-2022 DPC Division II after qualifying through the Open Qualifiers. However, the team fell short of expectations as they couldn't secure an Upper Division promotion. Following a poor run in the Regional Leagues, Gabbi and Fly departed the team under the reason of COVID-19 complications.
Before the Regional Finals, rumors went around that T1 was going to replace their carry player, 23savage. T1 then confirmed that Gabbi, who was fresh off Talon Esports' roster, will play with T1 in the tournament as a stand-in.
The addition of Gabbi was also not surprising as the fellow carry player has played together with T1's captain, Carlo "Kuku" Palad in TNC Predator.
The current lineup of T1 is:
- Kim "Gabbi" Villafuerte Santos - Pos 1
- Karl "Karl" Matthew Baldovino - Pos 2
- Carlo "Kuku" Palad - Pos 3
- Kenny "Xepher" Deo - Pos 4
- Matthew "Whitemon" Filemon - Pos 5
T1's former carry player, 23savage is now on the team's inactive roster and on loan to Motivate.Trust Gaming (MTG). We can expect 23savage to eventually replace the former carry for MTG, Souliya "JaCkky" Khoomphetsavong who is now playing for BOOM Esports. However, we have yet to wait for roster confirmation.
Both teams would likely need to adapt to the new lineup before the new DPC season begins. Following the first season, T1 will play in Division I while Motivate.Trust Gaming drops to Division II.
You can catch both teams in action in the ongoing tournament - Beyond The Summit: SEA Season 10 which will last until 6 March.
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