Andrey “Mag~” Chipenko, a popular offlaner in the CIS region’s Dota 2 scene, has joined Mineski, a Filipino organization, after leaving Vega Squadron.
Mineski revealed the news in an unconventional way. Instead of a formal statement, they uploaded a Facebook video of the team singing “Happy Birthday” to Mag~. At the end of the video, Mag~ is surprised with a cake that says “Mag, welcome to Mineski.”
This move has surprised many in the Dota 2 community. While transfers between European and North American organizations are common, it is rare to see a player move from the CIS region to Southeast Asia.
Mag~ has played for several top organizations in the CIS region, including Team Empire and Virtus Pro. He spent over two years with Vega Squadron before leaving. The team’s failure to qualify for the Kiev Major may have influenced Mag~’s decision to depart. It is currently unknown who will replace Mag~ on Vega Squadron.
Mag~’s addition to Mineski poses a challenge to their lineup. He specializes in the offlane role, which is currently played by Lee “KyXy” Kong Yang. It remains to be seen if KyXy will change positions. The new Mineski lineup will debut today in the Mars Dota 2 League qualifiers against Fnatic.