Into The Breach (ITB), a prominent UK-based esports organization, has made the tough call to disband its Dota 2 roster. This decision comes hot on the heels of the discontinuation of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season, leaving ITB at a crossroads. 

Reason Behind Into The Breach's Exit From Dota 2 

ITB's exit from Dota 2 has sent shockwaves through the esports community. Their departure from the game follows their commendable 5th-place finish in the DPC WEU 2023 Tour 2: Division 2, but the reasons behind this move delve deeper than their recent performance. 

One of the primary drivers behind ITB's exit is Valve's decision to discontinue the Dota Pro Circuit after the 2022/2023 season. This abrupt halt has left tier 2 and tier 3 teams like ITB grappling with an uncertain future. The DPC had been a stable and predictable source of income and competitive opportunities, and its disappearance has cast a shadow over the esports landscape. 

ITB's CEO, Sam Macedonio, sheds light on another critical factor that weighed heavily on their decision – talent acquisition. Unlike regions like North America and South America, Europe posed unique challenges in discovering and nurturing fresh talent. This struggle had become unsustainable for smaller organizations like ITB, making it increasingly difficult to compete at a high level. 

Another formidable hurdle in the path of ITB's Dota 2 journey was fan-building. Dota 2 is dominated by a select few elite teams, such as OG and Secret. This dominance often left tier 2 and tier 3 teams like ITB struggling to garner support from fans who were hesitant to endorse teams they saw as having limited prospects for victory. 

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Macedonio also underscored the financial demands that success in the European Dota 2 ecosystem brings. Top-tier teams command substantial budgets, which smaller organizations like ITB found challenging to match. The financial strain had become unsustainable for ITB's Dota 2 division.