Tundra Esports drops Dota 2 roster just 20 days after signing

The lack of a Dota Pro Circuit apparently means a permanent shuffle season as Tundra Esports drops nearly all of its Dota 2 team less than three weeks after signing them. The surprise move comes after the squad failed to perform at ESL One Kuala Lumpur, though a single bad placing doesn’t fully explain the shuffle. Here are details on the drop and why fans should suspect a Tundra rebuild in the near future.

Tundra announced the effective disbandment on Dec. 2, 2023, through official social media channels. The brief statement thanks the following players for their time on the team before wishing them luck in future endeavors.

The kicks follow a disappointing 8th-place finish at ESL One Kuala Lumpur. The squad performed as expected in the group stage but fumbled in the playoffs with a hard-fought 0-2 against BetBoom.

Notably, the four players were on the team for less than three weeks before the unceremonious kicks. Tundra’s original squad for The International 2023 exploded after a 16th-place finish, failing to defend its Aegis. The UK-based sponsor then hyped up the signing of North American titan Team Undying, which in turn had just left American sponsor TSM. The jersey-hopping will likely continue in 2024, though four of the five players have yet to announce plans.

The one who has, however, shares an interesting hint about the kick. Former Tundra carry Timado posted on Dec. 31 that he was looking for a new team, and he appears to have at least one offer from Quantum Infinity CEO Igor Campos. This implies that Tundra made the decision to sack the squad right after Kuala Lumpur, but delayed the announcement. The lack of any group statement implies that the team’s core of Timado, Bryle, and MoonMeander, who have stuck together since early 2021, will separate.

While most of the team is gone, Tundra has chosen to retain Matthew "Whitemon" Filemon, which implies that the organization will maintain a presence in Dota 2. The support player first joined the stack during the TSM era, helping build the team’s reputation as an NA threat.

Whitemon historically played in Southeast Asia on Geek Fam and T1, where he became a hot commodity in the online era. His continued presence could hit toward a Southeast Asian Tundra roster for 2024, though it's not clear who else could join the team.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest updates on all things Dota 2.