One of the longest-lasting Dota 2 trios is no more.
All good things must come to an end. Today, Nigma Galaxy announced the departure of its offlaner, Ivan "MinD_ContRoL" Ivanov, also known as MC. This significant roster change marks the end of the long-lasting trio in Nigma Galaxy - Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi , Maroun "GH" Merhej , and MinD_Control after almost a decade together.
MinD_ContRoL leaves a legacy in Nigma Galaxy
Today, Nigma Galaxy released a wave of announcements regarding its Dota 2 roster including Yuma and Mikey's departure. But the biggest news would be the departure of MinD_ContRoL, who has been a major presence in the team since its very first inception. UPDATE: GH has decided to take a break from competitive Dota 2, also leaving Nigma Galaxy's lineup.
"From 5Jungz to Nigma Galaxy, it has been an amazing trip! Thank you (MC) for all the memories, all the highs and all the lows. You will always have a special place in our hearts and we wish all the best," the org posted.
MinD_ContRoL has spent nearly his entire Dota 2 career among the same Dota 2 lineup. Since 5Jungz in 2015, he had teamed up with notable captain, KuroKy. He then met his offlane duo, GH, in January of 2017. Since then, the trio had never parted ways and persevered through multiple roster iterations.
(Photo via Valve)
After eight years, MinD_ContRoL opts to set on a different path and will no longer represent Nigma Galaxy.
Onto new adventures..
Nigma Galaxy may have been a little inactive throughout 2023, only joining major tournaments like the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) and DreamLeagues. However, MinD_ContRoL had been enjoying some side adventures.
He has played as a stand-in for OG during the ESL One Berlin Major and DreamLeague Season 21. Impressively, him and the team delivered great results, placing top 6 at the Major and 4th at the DreamLeague S21.
He also filled in the shoes of Team SMG's Masaros at TI12. Though this particular run quickly ended following a Group Stage struggle.
On top of that, MinD_ContRoL recently played at the Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show with "The dudley boys" - a team with Yuma, Adzantick, and more notable pros. In the Pinnacle tournament, his team finished in second place.
MinD_ContRoL is visibly more active in competing compared to his teammates and it seems like he is yearning for more outside of the Nigma Galaxy bubble. We can expect MinD_ContRoL to join a new team as we head into the 2024 season.
As for now, Nigma Galaxy hasn't disclosed any plans for the future of its Dota 2 team. It currently only has KuroKy as an active member.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Dota 2 news and guides!