Nine returns to competitive Dota 2 to stand in for Team Falcons in PGL Wallachia

The International 11 (TI11) champion and renowned midlaner, Leon "Nine" Kirilin, is back! The German player took an indefinite break from competitive Dota 2 following burnout in December 2023. After almost six months of hiatus, Nine marks his return to stand in for Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak of Team Falcons in the million-dollar PGL Wallachia tournament.

It has been half a year since we saw Nine grace the Dota 2 battlefield with his unorthodox gameplays. He was not only a TI champion but a unique player who brought unusual midlane heroes under the spotlight.

Despite a successful TI debut in 2022, Nine opted to take an extended break to recover from the burnout of competing in professional Dota 2. He described his recent years competing as the most stressful of his life. But he did hint that he will return when ready and it seems like the time is here!

Due to VISA issues, Team Falcons' current young midlaner, Malr1ne, could not attend the event in Romania. This isn't the first time Malr1ne faced a VISA problem this year.

The Russian midlaner had his VISA approved late for ESL One Birmingham, but he was still able to play after missing one day of the Group Stage. He isn't so lucky with PGL Wallachia, as it seems that he will miss the tournament entirely.

With Nine stepping in to help Team Falcons, we'll also see familiar faces reunite. He will once again team up with skiter, Sneyking, and Aui_2000, with whom he won TI11 with.

It'll be exciting to see their chemistry on the big stage of Dota 2 once again! And who knows what unconventional heroes he'll bring this time around..

PGL Wallachia begins tomorrow on May 10, 2024. A total of sixteen teams will compete for a slice of the $1 million dollar prize pool. It will be a LAN event located in Wallachia, Romania, without a live audience.

Stay tuned for more Dota 2 news and updates on esports.gg!