This article is sponsored by StatBanana, a leading Dota 2 strategy tool.
Dota 2 pro player Danil “Dendi” Ishutin has officially left Natus Vincere after almost nine years with the organization, as announced today. He will now be a free agent for the upcoming season.
Although Dendi was not part of the main Na’Vi squad during the 2018-2019 Dota Pro Circuit, he was still under contract with the organization. Dendi requested early termination from the organization, which was granted by Na’Vi.
Dendi was the first superstar and the face of Dota 2. Despite his lighthearted and playful personality, he was an intense and dominant player. His legendary status became so great that his Twitch emote, DendiFace, became a staple in the global Twitch community.
His list of achievements traces back to the first Dota 2 competition, where he won TI1 with Na’Vi. He remained loyal to the team until September 1, 2018, when he was benched.
Dendi went on to stand-in for a few different teams, briefly joining the Southeast Asian team Tigers in Malaysia. He then joined The Pango in an attempt to qualify for The International through the CIS Open Qualifiers, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.
Although Dendi’s professional Na’Vi career ended quietly, there is no doubt that Dota 2 would not be where it is today without his unique star power. Many fans still hope to see him play professionally and hear “Oppa Dendi” echo through Twitch chat once again.