Evil Geniuses’ Departure Leaves North American Dota 2 Scene Shaken
The North American Dota 2 scene was shaken by the news of Evil Geniuses relocating their division to pursue a new strategy. While it’s common for esports teams to move, the way EG bid farewell to their iconic roster rubbed the community the wrong way.
EG’s legendary Dota 2 roster, including Arteezy, Cr1t, Fly, Abed, and Nightfall, was released with a simple Twitter post. This disrespectful goodbye, considering the two roster members’ long association with the organization since 2016, sparked criticism even from Alex Garfield, EG’s former CEO, who posted a Medium article addressing the situation.
A Farewell that Fell Short
“There’s got to be a better goodbye than this,” Garfield lamented. “Because that’s what this really is – not just a goodbye to Dota 2 with EG as we knew it, but a goodbye to the final piece of what reminds a lot of us of EG as it once was.”
Garfield, no longer with EG since 2016, described EG’s latest roster update as “the final nail in the coffin for a legacy brand that seems hell-bent on forgetting its own history.”
Preserving Legacy: EG’s Rocky Journey
In his blog, Garfield highlighted EG’s destructive path in terms of preserving its legacy, starting with the infamous logo change where the organization decided to rebrand its 20-year-old image. The decision faced community backlash, and EG later reconsidered it.
According to Garfield, the Dota 2 roster was the only remaining part of the “old EG” history, and the way they were abruptly released was simply not the way to handle it.
Community Discontent
Garfield isn’t the only one expressing disappointment. Aui_2000, a member of the TI-winning EG roster and a former EG employee, also criticized the lackluster farewell, noting the absence of highlights, videos, or fanfare.
Given that EG’s NA-Dota 2 division has been with the organization for over a decade, the team has been home to many renowned names in the scene. Arteezy, SumaiL, PPD, Universe, and Fear are just a few examples of players who helped EG’s Dota 2 roster achieve great success. The low-effort farewell was not only impolite towards the recent roster but also disregarded the history they had built.
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