Southeast Asian esports organization Blacklist International has bid farewell to three key members of its Dota 2 squad following their unsuccessful bid to qualify for The International 12 (TI12). The departure of these players and the assistant coach marks a pivotal moment in the team's history as they gear up for the 2024 season.

Players Departing From Blacklist International Dota 2 Roster

Karl Matthew "Karl" Baldovino: Karl, the midlaner, has been a longstanding member of Blacklist International's Dota 2 roster. His contract has now expired, and he won't be returning for the upcoming season.

Damien "kpii" Chok: Kpii, the offlaner, was brought into the team mid-season in a bid to bolster their performance. However, his contract has also come to an end, and he won't be part of the team's future endeavors.

Kenny "Xepher" Deo: Xepher, who served as the assistant coach, played a crucial role in the team's strategies and development. Unfortunately, his contract has expired and won't be renewed.

These departures follow Blacklist International's impressive journey through the TI12 - SEA Qualifier, where they made it to the grand final but faced a formidable Team SMG that thwarted their TI12 dreams. Despite this setback, the organization has chosen to revamp its roster in preparation for the upcoming competitive season.

Blacklist International Dota 2 Roster

The team's current Dota 2 roster stands as follows:

• Marc “Raven” Polo Luis Fausto
• Timothy “Tims” Randrup
• Carlo “Kuku” Palad

Blacklist International's Dota 2 journey has been marked by high expectations and a quest for success. In their debut season, despite boasting a lineup of notable players, they struggled to meet the community's expectations and failed to qualify for the first two Majors.

Recognizing the need for change, the team made pivotal decisions mid-season. They parted ways with their captain, Nico "eyyou" Barcelon, leading to Carlo “Kuku” Palad taking on the position five role. This shuffle created an opening in the offlaner position, which was subsequently filled by kpii.

While the team demonstrated improvements towards the end of the season, culminating in a second-place finish in the final Tour, their first international LAN appearance at the Bali Major 2023 ended disappointingly in 13th-14th place.

Also read: China Wins Gold in Asian Games 2023 Dota 2 Tournament

Despite their best efforts, Blacklist International did not accumulate enough Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points to secure a direct spot at TI12. Consequently, they had to navigate through the qualifier. The Kuku-led squad proved to be fierce competitors in the qualifier, but with only one slot available, they faced fierce competition. Ultimately, Team SMG emerged victorious, defeating Blacklist International 2-0 in the upper bracket final and then 3-0 in the grand final to secure the coveted TI12 spot.