OpTic.Maelk: "We do currently not have any players signed"

OpTic.Maelk: "We do currently not have any players signed"
posted by Brasozial,
OpTic Gaming are one of the biggest organizations in esports. While they took their first steps into Dota 2 last year — with the help of Jacob 'Maelk' Toft-Andersen as Vice-President of Esports — they have decided not to have a roster "for the foreseeable future". Mostly known for their Call of Duty and Gears of War teams, OpTic have branched out to the biggest games in esports. They have a top class CS:GO team, a League of Legends franchise in the NA LCS, and operate the Houston Outlaws in the Overwatch League franchise. In September 2017, they announced their first ever Dota 2 roster, signing Peter 'ppd' Dager's stack featuring Ludwig 'zai' Wåhlberg and Quinn 'CCnC' Callahan.






Right from the start they were one of the best teams in North America, attending a few of the Majors. Their biggest success was their Minor win at Starladder | ImbaTV Invitational #5, where they defeated Immortals* in the Grand Finals. They even reached the Grand Final of a Major, only for their run at ESL One Birmingham 2018 to be halted by Virtus.pro.

Hopes were high that ppd could lead OpTic to another North American win at The International 2018, but they were once again stopped by Virtus.pro in the Lower Bracket. They finished in a creditable 7th-8th place — but not as high as the organization hoped.


"Do we want to be in Dota 2 no matter the team?"



The team was dropped and ppd is already on the hunt for a new organization, this time in Europe. Meanwhile, Jacob 'Maelk' Toft-Andersen has explained why OpTic fans shouldn't hold their breath for another lineup anytime soon. Talks with teams and players were not successful, and they were unable to find a team that had the potential to be really successful.

In regards to Dota 2 and a roster for the 2018/2019 season, I am afraid I have some disappointing news. We do currently not have any players signed, nor do we expect to for the foreseeable future. Since the conclusion of The International we have been working hard towards ensuring a roster that could do us all proud. Ultimately it came down to our vision for what it is we want to achieve.

Do we want to be in Dota 2 no matter the team? No. We want a team that can win. And we want a team that can be as actively a part of the Greenwall as the fanbase itself. We want a team that we can identify with.

Starting as soon as we were eliminated from The International, and leading up all the way to last night, there has been numerous players and lineups in play in a lot of interesting variations, but ultimately the choices were narrowed down to a distinct few that for different reasons ended up not being feasible.

An executive decision was made to wait for the right opportunity, rather than push for a lineup that didn’t live up to the expectations we have. Kodiak and myself, having an extensive background and network within the Dota 2 space, will continue to work towards getting the best possible lineup and fit for OpTic that we can. Trust me when I say, we want to be in Dota 2 as much as you do (probably more). - Jacob 'Maelk' Toft-Andersen



Which players could they sign in order to finally win a TI?




Photo credit: ESL - Helena Kristiansso

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