Fans of Danil “Dendi” Ishutin and B8 can breathe a sigh of relief today as the TI-winning star avoids relegation from the DPC. After B8 finished dead last in the ESL One CIS Online Season 1: Lower Division, it was expected the team would have to attempt to requalify next season. However, a merger with XactJlepbI has saved the squad from demotion.
Dendi and B8 will merge with XactJlepbI to retain their spot in the CIS DPC Lower Division (Image via B8)
In an announcement posted on March 16th, B8 announced it was dropping Leonardo “RdO” Fernandes, Diego “Sexyfat” Barini Santamaria, Heitor “Duster” Pereira. B8 signed this trio of Brazillian pros at the beginning of the year. But after a hugely disappointing season, the team has gone in a different direction. Instead, the B8 will merge with XactJlepbI.
B8’s 2021 Lower Division season saw them win just a single series. As a result, the team was eliminated from DPC competition and had to requalify. Merging with XactJlepbI, the team was able to keep their spot. Under DPC rules introduced for this season, it’s the organization or team, rather than the players who own spots in leagues. As a result, Dendi and company were able to use this merger to avoid relegation.
As part of the merger, just one player from the previous XactJlepbI roster has been retained. Aleksandr “Nofear” Churochkin, previously of Team Unique and Winstrike Team fame, joins B8 as their five position.
Alongside Nofear, Vladislav “DkFogas” Frolov, also previously of Winstrike Team has taken up the offlaner role. Meanwhile, relative unknown Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov has taken over as B8’s primary carry.
B8’s Current Lineup
- Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov
- Danil “Dendi” Ishutin
- Vladislav “DkFogas” Frolov
- Sergey “[T]SA” Timchencko
- Aleksandr “Nofear” Churochkin
Don’t feel too bad for the former members of XactJlepbI and B8 after the merge, though. Several former members of both teams have recently been linked to a number of other rosters. Former member RdO has teamed up with fellow B8 alum Nikola “LeBron” Popovic as part of a Balkan-based squad. It may not be too long before we see them back in the Lower Division of the DPC.
