Mind_Control Returns to Dota – Stands In for Nigma Galaxy at FISSURE Playground 2

After a promising run at The International 2025, where they made a playoff appearance, Nigma Galaxy were looking to start the new Dota 2 season on the right foot. However, their plans for their first LAN event – FISSURE Playground 2 – have been foiled.

The organization announced that the offlane duo of Tony “No!ob” Assaf and Omar “OmaR” Moughrabi will be unable to attend the event due to visa issues. As a result, Nigma Galaxy will be competing with a pair of stand-ins: Ivan “Mind_Control” Ivanov and Kirill “Hellscream” Lagutik.

A Familiar Face Returns

The highlight of the story is Mind_Control’s return to the Dota 2 scene. The Bulgarian offlaner is one of the most accomplished players in Dota 2 history, and also one of the founding members of the Nigma Galaxy roster.

However, since departing the team, his professional activity has been minimal over the past few years. His last stint was with Shopify Rebellion in mid-2024, where the team failed to qualify for The International 13. Since then, he quietly stepped away from competition. His appearance as a stand-in for Nigma Galaxy doesn’t just mark a return to the jersey he once represented, but it also signals his first LAN appearance of 2025.

Interestingly, this reunion isn’t entirely new territory for him. Mind_Control previously played alongside Hellscream during his time on the Shopify Rebellion, which is likely why he’s tagging him along as his position four support of choice.

This existing chemistry could be the main reason behind their joint call-up for this event, giving Mind_Control a more stable foundation since he hasn’t played top-tier Dota in quite a while.
Our main man is currently ranked 300th on the European leaderboard, which isn’t too shabby – he’s even higher-ranked than Tundra’s Neta “33” Shapira.

Fissure Playground 2 update:

Due to visa issues @no1obdota and @OmaRM02_ will not be able to attend the event.@MinDcontRoLDotA and Hellscream will be standing in for us during the LAN! pic.twitter.com/Hg4RmZ6z6b

— Nigma Galaxy (@NigmaGalaxy) October 16, 2025

Not One, Not Two, but Three Stand-ins?

While Mind_Control is the headline, Nigma Galaxy’s situation heading into the first LAN tournament of the 2026 season is far from ideal. He and Hellscream make it two stand-ins for the team already, but we have to remember that Maroun “GH” Merhej is also taking a break from competition at the start of the Dota 2 roster shuffle.

His spot was occupied by Tobias “Tobi” Buchner at FISSURE Universe 7, where the team finished in fourth place. It is unclear whether Tobi will continue playing for Nigma ahead of FISSURE

Playground, but GH’s absence is almost certain. This puts the squad at three stand-ins, with Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan and Daniel “Ghost” Chan being the only permanent members.
Image credit: PGL

What Can We Expect from Nigma at FISSURE Playground 2?

To be completely honest, expectations for Nigma should be kept to a minimum. FISSURE Playground 2 will feature the best teams in the world, including the likes of Team Falcons, Team Spirit, PARIVISION, Tundra, and all the top dogs.

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Mind_Control’s comeback into the scene, but with all of the stand-in situations for Nigma, it’s hard to believe they’ll make a deep run at the event. However, if they do pull off a miracle performance, it could end up being one of the most entertaining storylines of the early season.