Seleri parts ways with Gaimin Gladiators

In three years with Gaimin Gladiators, Seleri led the team to three Major titles and back-to-back second place finishes at The International.

Western European Dota 2 powerhouse Gaimin Gladiators announced on Friday (21 March) that they have parted ways with long-time team captain and position 5 support player Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp, over a month after he was placed in the team's inactive roster as he takes an extended break from competitive play.

In mid-February, Seleri suddenly announced he will be stepping away from competitive Dota 2 in the middle of the FISSURE Universe: Episode 4 Western European qualifier. The player said at the time that it was his “personal request to take a break”, with Gaimin Gladiators also stating that the decision to place Seleri in the inactive roster "was done to let him take an extended break from Dota 2 due to the intense scheduling of events.”

Gaimin Gladiators have since tapped Arman “Malady” Orazbayev to stand in as their position 5 support player for the foreseeable future.

In a farewell video posted on the official Gaimin Gladiators social media accounts, Seleri looked back on his journey with the team and expressed his gratitude towards his former teammates.

“I joined Gaimin Gladiators in February 2022, we went from Team Tickles to winning our first tournament together in the [2021-2022 Dota Pro Circuit Western European] Regional Finals – what an exciting way to start out journey. Winning the Lima Major was something I knew we could do at the time, but it was definitely a dream come true. When we won five tournaments back-to-back, including the last three DPC Majors, it was a pretty cool accomplishment we achieved together. I'm also very proud of the team when we overcame a rough period for quite a while and [managed] to come back to win again in [Riyadh Masters 2024] during the last year.”
“I would also like to thank my teammates for believing in me initially and playing with me for a very long time, we achieved a lot together. I also want to give a special shoutout to Ace and tOfu, the two of them changed positions when we initially started playing together so that Anton and me could keep playing together as carry and position 5. It was a bold decision, but without that decision we would have never had all these memories in this incredible journey together.”

Seleri parts ways with Gaimin Gladiators after three Major titles, back-to-back TI runner-up finishes

Seleri had been with Gaimin Gladiators since the organisation entered the Dota 2 esports scene in February 2022 by signing the roster of Team Tickles, which included Seleri alongside Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov, Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan, Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard, and Erik “tOfu” Engel.

Following their acquisition of mid laner Quinn “Quinn” Callahan in December 2022, Gaimin Gladiators would then go on one of the most dominant runs in the history of Dota 2 in 2023. Under Seleri's leadership, the team won all three Majors in the final season of the now-defunct Dota Pro Circuit and finished second in The International (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.

During Gaimin Gladiators' near-stranglehold over the Dota 2 esports scene, Seleri rose to become one of the most prominent captains and position 5 support players in the world. He engineered the team's signature laning stage-centric and fast-paced playstyle, while also earning renown as a formidable specialist with heroes such as Enchantress and Chen.

After falling short of the Aegis of Champions for the second year in a row, Gaimin Gladiators would begin what would become a series of roster changes that irrevocably altered the team's identity. In October 2024, the team parted ways with long-time carry player dyrachyo and replaced him with Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov.

Gaimin Gladiators would then struggle to start the 2025 season following that roster change. The team 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. In the FISSURE Universe: Episode 4 qualifiers, Seleri would take his break and get replaced by Malady before ultimately departing the team.

While Seleri remains on his break from competitive play, he assured his fans that he will “definitely be back” at some point in the future. However, with what team he might return with remains to be seen. With dyrachyo also recently leaving Tundra Esports to take his own break from competitive Dota 2, a reunion between the long-time laning partners is also a possibility.

“So for my future plans, I still really enjoy Dota so I will definitely be back. I hope I have been and will be seen as the vegan guy who likes to play Chen and Enchantress. So, thanks to everyone who supported me on my journey so far, I really appreciate it and I'll see you guys again,” said Seleri.

Gaimin Gladiators Dota 2 roster:

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