The NA squad announces that they will be competing without an organization for the International 10.
The story of team Undying is the story of old pros, looking to find their chance of glory at the biggest Dota tournament in the world. The squad, led by David "MoonMeander" Tan, has risen to prominence in the North American region after forming to compete the in the regional DPC league. After finishing third in both seasons, Undying had to make it through the regional closed qualifiers to make it to the International. The team went undefeated, demolishing every other team they faced, to qualify to TI.
Keeping Their Identity as Team Undying
Yesterday on social media, the team’s Twitter account announced that they had exciting news to be released today. Many speculated that it would be an announcement of a new organization picking the team up. Having done particularly well in NA, it would be no surprise to see an org getting in on a potentially well placing TI team.
As it turns out, Team Undying has committed to remaining org-less while competing in the International. Today on Twitter they announced the decision complete with a new logo and an announcement that they were looking for sponsors.
One of Two NA Teams to Remain Org-less
They are not the only team to do so. Another NA powerhouse, Quincy Crew, also made the commitment to remain org-less while competing in the International. Like Quincy, Undying have also made it clear that they are still looking for sponsors, but that they will be in control of their own destiny moving forward.
It’s a move that may sound surprising, but only if you're not looking at the landscape of the NA scene. The region has had a lack of org interest in North American teams for a while now. Other longstanding North American organizations have either disbanded their rosters or moved onto other regions. In addition, there’s a lot more freedom when you can make your own decisions, and don’t have to split your winnings with an org. That being said, Undying is still taking a risk. If you don’t win, you don’t get paid.
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Org-less Doesn't Mean Sponsor-less
Don't be mistaken though, independence does not equate to being closed off to collaborations. As stated in their announcement, they are still open for sponsorship opportunities. The difference being that their name and identity will not be bought over. At this point, they are undoubtedly among the top dogs of NA. With two DPC seasons worth of experience, many expect them to bring the NA brand of a good schlacking to TI10.
The team will be competing in the Loot.bet Pro Series starting August 4th against the best of NA and SA.
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Featured image: Undying's Twitter