OG part ways with mid laner Nine

This marks the third roster change for a struggling OG squad in the past two weeks.

Another day, another roster change for iconic Dota 2 organisation OG. The two-time The International (TI) winning organisation has parted ways with its mid laner, TI 2022 champion Leon “Nine” Kirilin, after six months in partnership. This announcement follows the team’s disastrous attempt to qualify for DreamLeague Season 26, which saw OG suffer quick losses in both Open Qualifiers and not even make it to the Closed Qualifier.

With Nine’s departure, OG’s roster is left with just one official member and three trial players. OG’s current Dota 2 roster is as follows:

Nine’s run with OG ends

OG has made substantial roster changes in the past two weeks. The team first released three players – with Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon and Jian Wei “xNova-” Yap leaving while Sébastien “Ceb” Debs returned to the inactive roster – then introduced three trial members in Stefan “Ulnit” Gavrila, Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn, and Ivan “Kidaro” Bondarev. OG's latest roster move now sees them part ways with Nine.

The German mid laner is known for his dominant triumph in TI 2022 with Tundra Esports. However, after a disappointing 13th-16th finish in TI 2023, Nine opted for a lengthy competitive break. He would be absent for almost an entire year, until he substituted for Team Falcons and OG in August and September of 2024.

In the following month, Nine officially signed with OG, marking his official return to the Dota 2 competitive scene. In theory, Nine’s unique playstyle and unconventional hero pool (Winter Wyvern mid, anyone??) could merge well with OG’s often similarly crazy ideas – and fans anticipated their chemistry. However, the results turned out bleak.

OG faced constant struggles, failing to qualify for Tier 1 events and even falling short in Tier 3 tournaments. The team also went through numerous roster changes in an attempt to turn things around. In what has become a demoralising situation, more drastic measures seem imminent. Following the team's crushing defeat in the DreamLeague Season 26 qualifier, Nine has parted ways with OG, bringing an end to his unsuccessful stint with the historic organisation.

What’s next for OG?

While no major events are scheduled for OG in the foreseeable future, the team is expected to continue actively competing in the Tier 2-3 scene. OG will need to announce a replacement or substitute for Nine soon as they prepare for the CCT Series 8 Playoffs, an online Tier 3 tournament that begins its Playoffs on 7 April. Joining OG as a direct invite to the Playoffs is Natus Vincere, a team that notably features two of OG’s former players, Artem “Yuragi” Golubiev and Matthew “Ari” Walker.