Tundra Esports has officially announced the signing of Remco “Crystallis” Arets as the team’s new Dota 2 carry player. The 23-year-old is replacing Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov, who ultimately decided to take a break from competitive Dota 2 despite Tundra’s recent success.
Proven Track Record
Crystallis is no stranger to top-tier Dota. He’s been to the TI Grand Finals in 2022 with Team Secret and recently won his first S-Tier LAN event at ESL One Bangkok 2024 with PARIVISION.
Looking at his gameplay from PARIVISION, I can safely say that he’s a different beast from his Team Secret days, where he may have looked underwhelming in several matches. He’s turned into an extremely talented carry and is now able to put the team on his back when given enough space.
From One Top Team To Another
Crystallis wasn’t just plucked out of the Dota 2 slums – he’s making a smooth transition from a title-winning team to another. His recent stint with PARIVISION proved that he’s a world-class carry player. It’s just unfortunate he was replaced by the Dota 2 version of donk.
Now, he has been blessed with another shot at Tundra, arguably the current best team in the world. However, it’s not like Tundra was short on options. I believe Crystallis truly deserves to play with players of such calibre.
Surrounded by star-studded players in each role, Crystallis finds himself in an environment where all resources are provided for him to succeed. He won’t have to overcompensate or take unnecessary risks – he just needs to do his job and his job only, which is to not lose his lane, farm efficiently, and close out the game knowing he has a reliable team protecting him.
Upgrade Or Downgrade – My Verdict
This roster move should be a massive upgrade. No hate to dyrachyo – he’s been playing great – but let’s be honest, Crystallis is superior to dyrachyo in almost all aspects of the game. Though the latter’s aggressive playstyle of “high risk, high reward” Dota is required to win difficult games, a team like Tundra will rarely find themselves in a losing situation in the first place. With how they’ve been performing so far, they don’t need a “big game” player at all.
All Tundra needs is a solid laner and someone who can make use of the space provided and close out the game. These criteria are precisely what Crystallis offers. “Stable” is the best word I can describe him with. I’m sure 33, a very calculated and methodical player, is elated to have a textbook carry like Crystallis as opposed to a dyrachyo who likes to jump in whenever he feels like.
I can confidently say that Crystallis is the missing piece Tundra needs to win every tournament this year, including more TIs for 33 and Saksa. The main question is how much time we need to give him to make it happen.
