Saudi-funded esports team Falcons has made a significant entrance into the Dota 2 scene by acquiring two core players from Tundra Esports, the winners of The International 2022. The team is set to compete in the ESL One Kuala Lumpur open qualifiers on November 14th.
The Falcons roster includes support player Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu and top-ranked carry Oliver “skiter” Lepko, both of whom were part of Tundra’s championship-winning lineup. Joining them in the offlane is Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf, who previously played for OG, Nigma Galaxy, and Quest Esports.
The team’s lineup was officially announced on November 11th, although fans had already noticed their participation in the Kuala Lumpur qualifiers on FACEIT. This confirmed that Falcons had indeed acquired the former Tundra players after their sudden breakup following The International 2023.
In addition to the Tundra duo and ATF, Falcons has also added Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen to their roster. The Danish support player recently left Shopify Rebellion and brings a wealth of experience, including a top-four finish at the Lima Major. If he stays with the team in 2024, it will mark his 12th year in competitive Dota.
Completing the lineup is rookie player Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak. The 19-year-old Russian gained attention while playing for Creepwave and Nemiga Gaming. With Nemiga, he won the Dota Pro Circuit Eastern European Division Two title in April. Although the team struggled in Division One, Malr1ne stood in for Tundra and Entity at DreamLeague Season 20 and 21 respectively.
Falcons has been actively expanding into various esports, including attempts to join League of Legends’ LEC and form a superteam in Counter-Strike 2. While their plans for the LEC fell through and faced setbacks in CS2, the organization is now fully focused on making an impact in Dota 2.
The new Falcons roster is expected to compete in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) qualifier for ESL One Kuala Lumpur, which will take place in mid-December. With their strong lineup of experienced players and promising rookie talent, Falcons aims to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Dota 2 scene.
Source: DOTESPORTS
