Even with N0tail returning to coach the squad, OG's Western European roster continue to struggle.
Iconic Dota 2 organisation 
OG's Western European roster have been knocked out of FISSURE Universe Episode 5's Play-In stage, marking another rough debut for the newly-formed Dota 2 squad. The team bows out of the qualifier round in 5th-6th place after being handed defeat by 
AVULUS.
This underwhelming result came after OG locked in their new roster, put together following a month of try-outs. The team officially signed their new squad on 6 May, bringing in 
Indji “Shad” Lub (on loan from 
Natus Vincere), 
Daniel “Stormstormer” Schoetzau, 
Mihajlo “MikSa`” Jovanovic, and Ivan "Kidaro" Bondarev to join 
Tamir “daze” Tokpanov on the active lineup. With two-time The International (TI) champion 
Johan “N0tail” Sundstein returning to the competitive scene as their coach, expectations for their debut were naturally high.
OG’s Journey Through FISSURE Universe Episode 5: Play-In
The FISSURE Universe Episode 5 Play-In was the first outing for OG's new Western European roster, and an important checkpoint as it is their last stop before the TI 2025 qualifiers begin, so heads were turned to see how the new roster performed.
In the Group Stage, OG started decently. They beat 
Runa Team, drew against 
Edge and 
MOUZ, and lost to 
Virtus.pro (VP), finishing with a 1-2-1 record. That was good enough for second in their group, just behind an undefeated VP, earning them a spot in the upper bracket of the Playoffs.
But things started to fall apart from there. The first playoff series saw OG face off against 
Shopify Rebellion, notably fielding 
Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn, one of the players who had previously trialed for OG. It was a close series, but OG lost 1-2 and dropped into the lower bracket.
Interestingly, OG’s next challenge was AVULUS, a squad captained by 
Tal “Fly” Aizik. The series was a back-and-forth affair, with AVULUS taking the first game and OG bouncing back in the second. However, OG couldn’t close it out in game three and were ultimately eliminated from the tournament.
Even though OG were somewhat the underdog against Shopify Rebellion and AVULUS, the exit still stings a bit. The team showed they could handle less polished stacks but struggled against more seasoned lineups with broader experience together in major events.
Next Up: TI 2025 qualifiers
With this warm-up out of the way, all eyes now turn to the big one: The International Western Europe Qualifiers, running from 13 to 17 June. OG is one of four directly invited teams to the Closed Qualifier, along with 
Nigma Galaxy, MOUZ, and AVULUS. Only two teams will make it through to the main event in Hamburg starting 9 September, where they’ll have a shot at lifting the Aegis of Champions.
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