Gaimin Gladiators captain Seleri takes 'extended break from Dota 2'

Image: PGL

Malady will be taking over as Gaimin Gladiators' position 5 support player as Seleri takes his break.

Western European Dota 2 powerhouse Gaimin Gladiators announced on Sunday (February 16) that team captain and position 5 support player Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp has been placed in an inactive role. In a statement on the team's official X (formerly Twitter) account, Gaimin Gladiators said that “this was done to let him take an extended break from Dota 2 due to the intense scheduling of events.”

In a post on his personal X account, Seleri clarified that it was his “personal request to take a break” and that he appreciates his teammates' understanding and support for his decision.

Seleri's decision to take an extended break from competitive play comes after a grueling start to the 2025 Dota 2 season. Prior to Seleri going inactive, Gaimin Gladiators played in the qualifiers for DreamLeague Season 25 and ESL One Raleigh 2025, failing to qualify for both events; before finishing second in BLAST Slam II and falling short in another qualifier for PGL Wallachia Season 4.

This also comes after Seleri and Gaimin Gladiators played in a total of 14 tournaments, including a second place finish at The International (TI) 2024, not to mention countless hours of practices and scrimmages.

With Seleri sidelined, Gaimin Gladiators have tapped Arman “Malady” Orazbayev to stand in as their position 5 support player for the foreseeable future. The team did not state who will be taking over as team captain in Seleri's absence.

Under Seleri's leadership, Gaimin Gladiators had one of the most dominant runs of any team in the history of Dota 2 in 2023, when they won all three Majors in the final season of the now-defunct Dota Pro Circuit and finished second in TI 2023. While the team did not enjoy the same level of dominance in 2024, they still won Riyadh Masters 2024 before earning a second straight runner-up finish at TI in TI 2024.

Throughout that time, Seleri rose to become one of the most prominent captains and position 5 support players in the scene. He engineered Gaimin Gladiators' signature laning stage-centric and fast-paced playstyle, while also earning renown as a formidable specialist with heroes such as Enchantress and Chen picks.

Seleri's decision to take a break notably came in the middle of Gaimin Gladiators' run through the Western European qualifier for FISSURE Universe Episode 4, shortly after the team lost to Night Pulse in the qualifier's upper bracket finals. Gaimin Gladiators, with Malady standing-in, managed to bounce back and sweep Yakult Brothers in the lower bracket finals to qualify for the tournament.

Seleri also wished his stand-in well, saying in his post “I'm glad Malady is able to lane with [Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov] now, I hope they will own together.”

Gaimin Gladiators Dota 2 roster: