The Team Liquid Dota 2 roster lost out on its captain and two-time TI winner Neta “33” Shapira soon after its monumental run at Copenhagen, where the team lifted the Aegis.
33 has parted ways with the team, according to a new-deleted post from Liquid on Sept. 26. The reason for his departure was unclear, but it likely isn’t retirement. It’s not every day a player willingly leaves a team they have just won the world championship with. The closest case to a team making changes after winning TI is Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling getting kicked from Evil Geniuses in the TI5 aftermath.
Former Tundra Esports player Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev leaked on his live stream that 33 would be taking his slot on the team. This meant 33 would return to the organization he played for in his first TI victory. Judging by previous roster moves, the transfer to Tundra is a real possibility as the Western European organization just imploded its roster, leaving only Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon as the sole member.
Though fans are expecting an entirely new iteration of Tundra Esports, rumors suggest 33 could potentially reunite with former laning partner Martin “Saksa” Sazdov on the new team, who had just returned to the professional scene after a year-long halt. Saksa stood in for Tundra Esports at TI13 and finished third, looking as sharp as ever despite his time off from top-tier play.
33 joined Liquid in November 2023 and immediately took on captaining responsibilities despite being the newest recruit. He didn’t have the best start to the 2024 season as fans expected him to, but Liquid picked up the pace in the second half of the year, where the squad placed second at Riyadh Masters 2024, gathering momentum for the final destination of the season.
To end the season on a high note, 33 led Liquid to win The International 2024, making him the first player to win two TI titles with completely different rosters. He is now one of the 10 players in history to lift the Aegis twice.
As for the fresh TI winners who had just lost their captain, it’s speculated Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek will fill the massive shoes 33 left. Being the goofy player that he is, SabeRLight- posted a video on Twitter in the shower hinting at joining Liquid.
The former Shopify Rebellion star stood in for 33 and played with the same Liquid lineup at ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023. Bringing immaculate vibes and huge impact from the offlane, SabeRLight helped the team achieve third place despite the lack of preparation.
It seems like 33 is trying to break another record by being the first player to win three TIs with three different rosters. The player has yet to release an official statement.
