Veteran Dota 2 offlaner Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang is leaving Fnatic, following his extended break from competition.

In an official statement, Fnatic disclosed that Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang has decided not to renew his contract with the organization for the following year. Fnatic explained that “[iceiceice} has gained interest in playing for another region while extending his break.”

Iceiceice first signed with Fnatic after The International 2018 and has been the “heart of the Fnatic Dota 2 roster since joining in September 2018,” according to the organization. 

He has helped Fnatic reach new heights and become the best team in Southeast Asia. His accomplishments with the team include qualifying for TI9, finishing in third place during the Stockholm Major, and winning five-straight tournaments at the start of 2020.

Due to the Dota Pro Circuit’s unexpected hiatus, more players are opting not to renew their contracts, even though they’re with high caliber teams. This has resulted in many professional Dota 2 players taking extended breaks, while some of them even look into joining other organizations.

Fnatic’s announcement also states that they’ve decided to release Nico “eyyou” Barcelona from its active roster. “After trialing Nico for one week as captain, we’ve mutually agreed that it’s best for us to part ways,” said the organization.

Fnatic will continue to scout new players for the offlane and hard support roles in the hopes of having “the right mix of competitive profile and team chemistry.” The team will work on building around Marc “Raven” Fausto, Kam “Moon” Boon Seng, and Djardel “DJ” Mampusti.

Fnatic is currently competing in the BTS Pro Series: SEA Season 3 with stand-ins Sangdon “Forev” Lee and Kenny “Xepher” Deo, in the offlane and hard support roles respectively. Forev was previously with T1 up until he was let go, and Xepher was on Geek Fam’s Dota 2 roster which was disbanded. At present, both players are free agents.

Fnatic’s Dota 2 roster:

  • (1) Marc “Raven” Fausto
  • (2) Kam “Moon” Boon Seng
  • (4) Djardel “DJ” Mampusti.

Fnatic has stated that it is currently in a long-term rebuilding process, and is aiming to create the best possible Fnatic Dota 2 roster for the future. 

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