Swedish esports organization, Alliance, has announced that it will be parting ways with its entire Dota 2 roster after the players expressed a desire to play in a new environment.

“Today is a sad day for Alliance, because we’re parting ways with a team we love. All the hard work, long nights, happy times, but also devastating defeats. But we are also happy and proud to have gone through this journey together, to have been able to grow with them during such an important part of their careers,” said Alliance coach Jonathan “Loda” Berg in a statement.

The announcement comes as a surprise for many, as the now-former Alliance roster of Michael “miCKe” Vu, Maximilian “qojqva” Bröcker, Samuel “Boxi” Svahn, Tommy “Taiga” Le, and Aydin “iNSaNiA” Sarkohi has been with the team since 2017 and saw steady development since then that resulted in a berth at The International 2019 (TI9) — where they placed 13th-16th.



“I’d like to thank Alliance for everything they did for us these past 2 years. They believed in us through the roughest times and I will always appreciate the support we were given. More than that I’m glad to have worked with such wonderful people who have helped me grow not only as a Dota player but also as a person. It’s in hopes of being able to continue that growth, that we move on to a new adventure,” said iNSaNiA.

“Alliance have been the best family and friends I could have wished for these last 2 years. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs but what matters the most is that you guys were there to support us at our lowest. I will miss working with you. However, I’m excited for the next chapter in my journey with new challenges. Thank you for everything,” added miCKe.

The former Alliance roster has not yet revealed which organization they will sign with for the upcoming 2019-2020 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season, though the likes of Team Liquid and CompLexity Gaming are notably looking for a new team.

Alliance assures that they will remain active in the Dota 2 competitive scene, where they have earned recognition as one of the top organizations in Europe after they won TI3 shortly after being established.

With the next iteration of The International to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, Alliance is aiming to represent its home country on the main stage with what could be another home-grown lineup.

“With the departure of our Dota 2 team, this does not change our goal of playing at the main stage in Globen next TI. We are dedicated to our goal of building a new world-class roster and look forward to show you what’s next,” said Alliance.

“We’ve been able to build a team from scratch together with these players and show that it’s possible even without having the most well-known players. We know how to build teams, it’s in our core” added Loda.

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