Gaimin Gladiators to Leave The International
Business
25 August 2025 09:10
Gaimin Gladiators has officially withdrawn from Dota 2’s The International. The sudden exit stems from unresolved contractual issues between the organization and its roster, according to a statement released by Valve Corporation on August 22.
Valve confirmed that the players originally invited to the event are now unable to compete due to internal disagreements with the organization. “The invited players could not participate due to contractual disputes with their team,” Valve stated, noting that efforts are underway to identify a suitable replacement team ahead of the tournament.
Nick Cuccovillo, President and co-founder of Gaimin Gladiators, addressed the matter shortly after Valve’s announcement, shedding limited light on the ongoing conflict. “I want to share that Gaimin Gladiators won’t be competing at TI this year,” Cuccovillo said. “Some internal matters between the players and the organization made it impossible for us to move forward with a roster. For now, I can’t go into more detail as there are legal considerations involved, but I’ll share more when I’m able to.”
This marks only the second time in the history of The International that a qualified team has failed to attend due to non-competitive reasons. The last such occurrence was in 2012 when Malaysian team MUFC missed TI2 because of visa complications. At that time, Valve responded by organizing a last-minute playoff between mousesports and World Elite to fill the vacant spot.
The timing of Gaimin Gladiators' withdrawal has sparked confusion within the Dota 2 community, particularly after the team posted a countdown to the tournament on social media earlier the same day as the announcement.
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Business
25 August 2025 09:10
Gaimin Gladiators has officially withdrawn from Dota 2’s The International. The sudden exit stems from unresolved contractual issues between the organization and its roster, according to a statement released by Valve Corporation on August 22.
Valve confirmed that the players originally invited to the event are now unable to compete due to internal disagreements with the organization. “The invited players could not participate due to contractual disputes with their team,” Valve stated, noting that efforts are underway to identify a suitable replacement team ahead of the tournament.
Nick Cuccovillo, President and co-founder of Gaimin Gladiators, addressed the matter shortly after Valve’s announcement, shedding limited light on the ongoing conflict. “I want to share that Gaimin Gladiators won’t be competing at TI this year,” Cuccovillo said. “Some internal matters between the players and the organization made it impossible for us to move forward with a roster. For now, I can’t go into more detail as there are legal considerations involved, but I’ll share more when I’m able to.”
This marks only the second time in the history of The International that a qualified team has failed to attend due to non-competitive reasons. The last such occurrence was in 2012 when Malaysian team MUFC missed TI2 because of visa complications. At that time, Valve responded by organizing a last-minute playoff between mousesports and World Elite to fill the vacant spot.
The timing of Gaimin Gladiators' withdrawal has sparked confusion within the Dota 2 community, particularly after the team posted a countdown to the tournament on social media earlier the same day as the announcement.
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View AllAfter a seven-month absence from the Counter-Strike scene, Canadian esports organization Gaimin Gladiators has officially re-entered the competitive landscape, picking...
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