TSM’s Venture into Dota 2: A Surprising Move with FTX Partnership
Team SoloMid’s (TSM) entry into Dota 2 came as a surprise to many fans when they signed Team Undying in January. However, it turns out that the deal itself may have been unexpected for some internal personnel as well.
According to a report by The Washington Post, TSM’s 10-year, $210 million deal with crypto exchange FTX faced several obstacles even before the recent announcement of its partnership suspension. One of these hurdles involved the nature of the naming rights deal.
Displaying FTX Branding in League of Legends
Riot Games made it clear that TSM would not be allowed to display FTX’s branding in League of Legends. This led TSM’s CEO Andy Dinh and other leadership members to explore esports opportunities that would allow for co-branding with TSM FTX.
This search for branding opportunities reportedly prompted TSM’s move into Dota, where they signed the unsponsored Undying roster that had been making waves in North America. Former employees revealed that this decision was driven by the FTX team’s love for Dota.
Debunking the Claims
TSM denied the claim that they acquired a Dota team solely for the benefit of the FTX partnership. However, a former employee mentioned that TSM leadership had a history of investing time and money in areas that were important to sponsors.
While TSM maintains that FTX was satisfied with its investment, another former employee claimed otherwise, stating that TSM needed to bring more value to the table. This led to the signing of a low-investment, low-risk Dota roster to provide additional branding opportunities.
Future in Dota for TSM
As T1 appears poised to exit the scene and Evil Geniuses moves to South America, TSM has a clear opportunity to become the number-one team in North America for the 2023 DPC season. Although they will go through a roster rebuild, TSM is expected to retain its Dota division.
The recent suspension of the TSM-FTX partnership follows FTX’s bankruptcy filing and concerns over asset misuse. TSM has begun the process of removing FTX branding from various platforms.
TSM clarified that their venture into Dota was driven by the goal of competing at the highest level in every tier-one esport. This move not only allowed them to participate in a major esport but also brought more value to their sponsors.
With this strategy in place and their commitment to dominating the NA scene, TSM plans to remain active in Dota for the upcoming DPC season.
TSM’s current roster includes Timado, Bryle, SabeRLight-, MoonMeander as the captain, and MISERY as the head coach.