Shopify Rebellion has left the Dota 2 esports scene after just over two years in competition.

North American esports organisation Shopify Rebellion has announced its departure from competitive Dota 2, disbanding its current roster and stepping away entirely from the game's competitive scene. The decision follows a string of disappointing results over the past two years, even in the relatively weaker North American region.

“It pains me to share this, but for the time being, we have made the difficult decision to step away from Dota 2. We are releasing our entire roster unconditionally, effective immediately, so they can seamlessly pursue their next opportunities. I hope they all find great new homes and continue to shine, bringing their incredible talent and dedication to new teams.“ Shopify Rebellion’s co-founder, Dario “TLO” Wünsch, announced.

The news is especially disheartening for fans of the team and of North America’s once-robust Dota 2 scene. Shopify Rebellion’s departure marks yet another major North American organisation leaving the game, following the disbandment of Nouns Esportsin 2024 as well as the exit of TSM and Evil Geniuses (EG) in 2023. This leaves only Wildcard remaining in the regional pool—a relatively new team co-owned by popular streamer Amouranth.

Shopify Rebellion entered the Dota 2 scene in early 2023, just after EG dropped their renowned North American roster in favor of a South American lineup. Shopify Rebellion took over EG’s former lineup, comprising star players like Artour “Arteezy” Babaev and Abed Azel “Abed” Yusop, and the team quickly picked up where EG left off—dominating the NA region and excelling in global tournaments.

In its first year, Shopify Rebellion secured several strong finishes, including 4th place at the Lima Major, 3rd at DreamLeague Season 19, and 2nd at DreamLeague Season 21. However, the team dropped three players simultaneously at the end of the season, leading to relentless roster shuffles that severely threw them off balance. Over time, their spark faded, and they slipped into a painfully stagnant, below-average state.

Shopify Rebellion not only struggled to produce notable tournament results, but also failed to qualify for The International (TI) for two consecutive years—losing their spot to Nouns in the first year and, most recently, to Wildcard.

The team’s former players: Enzo “Timado” Gianoli, Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer, Cedric “Davai Lama” Deckmyn, Kirill “Hellscream” Lagutik, and Rolen Andre Gabriel “Skem” Ong are now free agents.

Shopify Rebellion has not ruled out a future return to Dota 2

The Dota 2 competitive scene has evolved over the past few years, and the current state of competition has made a strong impact on underdogs like Shopify Rebellion. 

The Dota Pro Circuit (DPC), Valve’s official Dota 2 circuit, greatly helped to ensure a consistent regional competition that also offered prize money. After it was abolished in 2023, the competitive scene switched to increasingly focus on Tier-1 tournaments, meaning there was very little room for underdogs to navigate. 

Adding these to their string of underperformances, SR’s departure feels inevitable. Still, TLO emphasised that this exit may not be permanent:

“I’m confident this is a ‘see you soon’ rather than a goodbye. While we take our hiatus, I’ll always keep an eye on Dota. For now, you can bet I’ll be right there with you, cheering on my favorite players as a fan during TI.”

A potential return point could be on the horizon, as tournament organiser ESL officially announced the upcoming launch of its Division II circuits on 3 July. The Division II competition, will enable the weaker field of teams and let them earn incentives.

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