Canadian esports organization Gaimin Gladiators may return to Dota 2. This was hinted at in the club's recent post on X, featuring the hero Wraith King rising from the ground and holding the team's banner. Since he is the only character in the game with a reincarnation ability, the community saw this as a clear hint at the division's revival ahead of the 2027 season.
The organization's potential return has sparked a mixed reaction among fans due to the club's controversial exit from the scene. Their previous star-studded roster (dyrachyo, Quinn, Ace, tOfu, Seleri) won three Majors, Riyadh Masters 2024, and reached The International grand finals twice throughout 2023–2024. However, just before TI 2025, due to an internal conflict between the players and management, both parties withdrew from the tournament. This marked the first time in history that a team missed the main event for reasons other than visa or travel issues. The organization later filed a CAD 7.5 million lawsuit against the former roster, a move that still causes outrage among parts of the community.
Should Gaimin Gladiators decide to push through the reputational backlash and return, now is the perfect time. There are currently several available tier-1 stacks on the professional scene that could serve as a fast track back to the top level. The main contenders for signing include:
- Astra Invicta (formerly known as the Nigma Galaxy squad) — a highly experienced roster playing under the coaching guidance of the legendary KuroKy.
- DO KONCA — the former BetBoom Team roster, which recently paused its Dota 2 operations and moved the squad to the inactive roster. The players decided to stick together. Given their victories and consistent deep runs at last season's S-tier tournaments, signing this collective looks like a highly logical and solid move.
Despite the departure of some clubs, such as Team Falcons, Gaimin Gladiators' intention to invest in Dota 2 esports again is an encouraging sign for the vitality of the professional scene.
As a reminder, Tencent invests $140M to develop the Chinese Teamfight Tactics ecosystem