OG, the Dota 2 organization, has had a challenging year with multiple roster changes and missing out on The International for the first time since its formation in 2015. After releasing several players, OG is now in a rebuilding phase. However, it seems that the rollercoaster ride continues as it appears that OG may have terminated DM’s contract for coaching 9Pandas without obtaining permission.
On October 12, OG announced that it was parting ways with DM, stating that his contract with the team had come to an end. However, just an hour later, 9Pandas confirmed that DM would be joining them as a coach for The International 2023, indicating that something had been going on behind the scenes.
During DreamLeague Season 21, viewers noticed DM sitting behind some of the 9Pandas players on-stream. At that time, DM had recently been moved to OG’s inactive roster after the team failed to qualify for TI 2023. OG brought in MinD_ContRoL as a stand-in for the tournament. When asked about DM’s presence, 9Pandas denied having a coach and referred to DM as their “buddy.”
However, viewers were skeptical, especially since DM was present during several of 9Pandas’ matches, including those against OG. Insiders from the EEU region, such as Vladimir “Maelstorm” Kuzminov, confirmed that DM had been coaching 9Pandas for quite some time.
An anonymous source revealed that OG filed a dispute with ESL regarding the presence of personnel behind teams during drafts at DL21. This led to a “war of words” between OG and 9Pandas regarding the situation. 9Pandas claimed to have reached out to OG about DM coaching the team but did not receive permission or pay OG for his services while DM was still under contract. OG, on the other hand, denied these claims.
Feeling upset about how things unfolded, OG decided to “cancel” DM’s contract when they began making moves in October. It is unclear whether this was due to DM breaching his contract by working with another team while still technically with OG or if 9Pandas’ claims of a transfer are true.
DM will now coach 9Pandas as they continue their TI 2023 campaign, while OG will start exploring options to fill their open roster spots for the 2024 season without the Dota Pro Circuit.
Author: [Author’s Name]
Source: DOTESPORTS
