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33 Joins Team Liquid
After The International 2023, the former Ti champions, Tundra Esports, decided to go their separate ways. From their fallout, the Western European teams are reaping benefits. The latest team to benefit is Team Liquid, which has signed Tundra's former offlaner, Neta "33" Shapira, for the upcoming professional Dota 2 season.
Team Liquid’s offlaner Ludwig "Zai" Wåhlberg retires from professional play right after the end of The International 2023, making the team the first from the region to undergo a roster shuffle.
Credits: Twitter.@TeamLiquid
Zai’s retirement left a vacancy on the team. Thus, the team went looking for a new offlaner, which they found in the hands of the former TI champion.
Big Shoes, Right Person
Zai has been a crucial member of Team Liquid ever since he left Team Secret. Over the past three years, he has played a pivotal role in helping the team secure several top-three finishes at LAN events. Zai's biggest accomplishment with Team Liquid was at The International 2022, where his contribution helped the team take a third-place finish.
Credits: Valve
However, during his final season with the team, Liquid could only manage a top-six finish at The International 2023 despite achieving various successes at LANs.
33 Comes with a different approach to the game. He adores micro-heroes like Broodmother or Visage. His playstyle offers stability to the team as he often purchases aura items on his hero.
At The International 2022, he pioneered an itemization around the Wriath Pact, an item that reduces the incoming damage to the team. It was a tremendous success and led Tundra to their first TI trophy.
Uncertainty Looms
Following The International 2022, Tundra faced several issues at the 2023 DPC Season. Despite the team’s solid regional performance, they always fell short at LANs. Moreover, the uncertainty of their roster made them go through a roster shuffle before The International 2023. The roster shuffle wasn’t enough, and the team crashed and burned out of the tournament.
After the departure of Leon "Nine" Kirilin, two of the team members quickly left the team as well, and with the departure of 33, the team's original TI-winning roster no longer exists.
However, the team still has Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen, a back-to-back TI champion, on their roster. It’s uncertain what the future has in store for Tundra Esports.
They could revamp their roster around the two-time Ti champion or could leave the professional Dota scene. Only time has the answers.
Featured Image Source: Twitter/@teamliquiddota
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