Jonathan “Loda” Berg Takes a Break from Competitive Play
Popular Swedish player, Loda, will be stepping away from competitive play until after the conclusion of the International 7. With a career spanning over a decade, Loda is one of the most experienced players in Dota 2. He achieved great success in 2013 when he won the International 3 as part of Alliance, a team he now co-owns.
Alliance to Participate in Open Qualifiers for International 7
Since becoming a co-owner of Alliance on December 12, 2016, Loda has struggled to fully focus on competing. In a press release, he explained that he will be taking a break, and former NiP carry player Adrian “Era” Kryeziu will be filling in for him in the meantime. As a result, Alliance will now have to go through the open qualifiers for the International 7, as Valve’s roster lock rules are now in effect. Any team that changes its roster after the lock will not receive an invitation to the main event or the regional qualifiers.
Alliance: A History of Success and Roster Changes
Alliance, founded in 2013, had a highly successful year with a string of victories and took home the International 3 championship and the largest prize pool in esports history at the time, $1.4 million. However, the team faced challenges in maintaining that level of success and underwent significant roster changes in the following years. Loda is now the only remaining founding player on the team.
Alliance is now preparing for the open qualifiers of the International 7, although the date for the qualifiers has not been announced yet.