After a string of suboptimal results, the OG Dota 2 roster is back on the drawing board. The two-time TI-winning organization has parted ways with its Southeast Asian duo, 23savage and xNova, while team captain Ceb is also stepping back from the team. 

OG Parts Ways With 23savage and xNova as Ceb Steps Down

A Short-Lived SEA Experiment

In a bold move, the OG Dota 2 squad brought in 23savage and xNova in an attempt to revive the roster with fresh ideas and Southeast Asian talent. While these two names have proven themselves on the big stages, the OG experiment failed to yield any consistent results. 

Years ago, 23savage publicly announced that one of his main career goals was to play under the OG banner. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. According to his departure statement, it was he who decided to leave the organization:

“After five months with OG, it is time to say goodbye. I decided to part ways with OG for the best of both parties. I have learned so much in these five months, both in-game and outside of the game.”

The Thai prodigy is already looking for a new team, so we should see him celebrating too early at LAN events very soon. 

On the other hand, xNova is looking to take time off the professional scene and return when he’s ready:

“I’m truly grateful for everything and thank you OG for respecting my decision until the very end. I wish the team success and for now I’ll be taking a short break and I will return to playing competitively in the future.”

Ceb Steps Away For The 10th(?) Time to Pursue Streaming

I’ve already lost track at this point. Ceb has been hopping in and out of the OG roster numerous times already, and it seems like his seasonal exit returns. 

Ceb posted a video explaining the situation and underlying issues within the team. His main points were:

  • Wisper expressed a lot of stress with traveling in January.
  • The team had qualifiers to play, and Ceb was called up to stand in without much notice.
  • He and the team believe he is not in a position to help the team optimally. 
  • There are better and more sustainable options to be built within the team. 
  • He believes the team is in a good state and that it is a building process.

Throughout the past week, Ceb has been streaming replay analysis of professional players and matches, which has been extremely beneficial for the community. He has been enjoying the interactions he’s been having on his streams and plans to continue creating content on a regular basis. If you’re looking to learn more about the game, I highly recommend checking him out on Twitch.

What’s Next For OG?

The OG organization still plans to stick around in Dota 2 and assemble a new roster. The team is heading into a selection process for its new players. But as things stand with the three departures, the current OG roster is down to:

  • Nine
  • dAze
  • KheZu (Coach)
OG Dota 2 (Image via PGL)
OG were eliminated in last place at PGL Wallachia S3 (Image via PGL)

However, the new roster will have a lot of work ahead of them. With zero LAN presence and EPT points, OG must play through the qualifiers of every international event they want to participate in, with Riyadh Masters and The International being the two highest priorities. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but after an early exit from PGL Wallachia Season 3, we’ll have to see what they can pull out this late into the season.