OG continue to tinker with their roster in search of an optimal line-up for the new season.
With no Dota Pro Circuit and a strict shuffle window given by Valve this year, many of the organisations are taking their time to build their Dota 2 teams for the 2024-2025 competitive season. OG are one of the orgs that preferred not to rush things despite the short break the competitive scene had this time around, between The International 2024 (TI13) and the new season.
They set eyes on Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon and Leon “Nine” Kirilin in the post TI13 shuffle, and brought them in as stand-ins at the beginning of the season for “trial by fire” qualifier rounds. Although OG fell short in the first qualifier wave of the season, the two players have now become full members of the team and the two pillars around which OG want to build their roster.
xNova to play in Europe for the first time in his career
With that in mind, the organisation announced new trials for the upcoming events. Yap “xNova” Jian Wei will take Sébastien “Ceb” Debs’s place in the hard support role for the remainder of 2024. The Malaysian veteran, who for most of his career played for the strongest Chinese teams in the scene, will now become the lane partner for 23savage. This will mark the first time in nearly a decade of competition that xNova will play for a European team.
More so, he is now trialling for the team that denied him and LGD the Aegis of Champions at The International 2018 and will try to fill in the shoes of the player who delivered the iconic “Ceeeeeeeeeeb” play in Vancouver. xNova was also on the LGD roster that placed third in the following year at TI, after being defeated in the upper bracket finals by the same OG.
KheZu gives another shot to the coaching role
It’s been a minute since Maurice “KheZu” Gutmann has been actively competing, be it as a player or a coach. His last foray as an active player was with Quincy Crew in the 2022 North America DPC league. His coaching experience also resumes with Quincy Crew at The International 2021, where interestingly enough, the team was eliminated by the same OG.
Through the past few years, KheZu was a familiar face on the analyst desk for multiple tournaments, including the past three TIs, the first two editions of Riyadh Masters and most of the ESL events.
OG current roster
Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon
Leon “Nine” Kirilin
Adrian “Wisper” Cespedes Dobles
Matthew “Ari” Walker
Jian Wei “xNova-” Yap (trial)
coach: Maurice “KheZu” Gutmann (trial)
xNova and KheZu will begin their trial period with OG this coming week at RES Regional Champions, which will be played on LAN in Belgrade, Serbia from October 22 to the 25th of the month. However, 23savage won’t be able to travel with the team as he is still working on sorting out his visa for Europe. Indji “Shad” Lub will be standing in for 23savage in Serbia next week. OG are one of the four teams directly invited to the $200,000 tournament along with Alliance, Level Up and PARIVISION.
