Dignitas revealed they are letting go of Dardoch due to “unacceptable” behavior, with Matthew “Akaadian” Higginbotham taking his place.
It is fair to say almost none of the LCS teams were prepared to go into the Summer split. We are three weeks in and we are seeing monumental roster changes and shifts that give off-season vibes if you didn't know better. Team Liquid has been in the center of it all, and the latest to join them is Dignitas.
The organization is currently tied in 5th place after their week 3 results. They failed to get a win against any of Golden Guardians, TSM FTX, and Counter Logic Gaming. James Baker, Dignitas' Director of Esports, announced they are parting ways with Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett, the team's jungler. Baker stated they are "more than just one player," as they have been evidently reliant on Dardoch's performances to close out games.
To dive deeper into it, Baker described his actions on Friday during their loss to Golden Guardians as "unacceptable." The team also hired what they deemed the best sports psychologist in esports to put the roster's mindset on track. Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham will take Dardoch's place as Dignitas' jungler.
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This isn't the first time we have seen attitude and behavior issues directed at Dardoch as he has been notorious for this kind of incidents in the past. The most prominent was the clip present in Team Liquid's Breaking Point documentary back in 2016 where he goes in a confrontation between his teammates, and specifically Choi "Locodoco" Yoon-seop.
Akaadian has a tall task to overcome for what remains of the team's week 4 matches against FlyQuest and Evil Geniuses. The player has already put on the organization's jersey against 100 Thieves but failed to grab the win. They are still 5th as of the time of writing, but it is hard to imagine they will hold this placement for long.
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