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Dota 2 Roster Shuffle 2025: All Major Roster Moves post-TI (Week 4)
Another week brings another wave on the Dota 2 roster shuffle across the professional landscape. Since our last recap, a lot has changed: Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi has retired, Team Liquid secured a strong offlane and support, and Maroun "GH" Merhej announced he’d be taking a break.
On top of that, Chan "Oli" Chon Kien changed teams once again, Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko was benched and then picked up shortly after, Nikita "panto" Balaganin found a temporary new home, and Rodrigo "Lelis" Santos is officially out of OG. Let’s break it all down and explore what these moves mean for their new squads.
Dota 2 Roster Shuffle of the Week
Team Liquid: Farewell Insania, Hello Gladiators!
The week kicked off with the official announcement that Insania would be retiring from competitive Dota 2 after six years representing Team Liquid. His decision didn’t come as a surprise, as he had already expressed his desire to step back from competition before The International 2025.
A few days later, Liquid revealed replacements: Marcus "Ace" Christensen and Erik "tOfu" Engel. Both players had parted ways with Gaimin Gladiators following a less-than-ideal end to their contracts just before TI 2025. Now, they join Liquid as the team’s new offlaner and hard support.
Their arrival was announced just hours before Liquid’s debut at FISSURE Universe Episode 7. The team finished in third place, a solid but slightly shaky performance given the major changes they were navigating. All eyes now turn to BLAST Slam IV to see if Liquid can stabilize and rebuild momentum heading into the new competitive year.
Nigma Galaxy: Another Break on the Wall
After finishing 6th at TI 2025, Maroun "GH" Merhej decided to take a break from competitive play. This move forced Nigma Galaxy to react quickly, as they had to compete at FISSURE Universe shortly after.
To fill the gap, the organization brought in Tobias "Tobi" Buchner, one of the most active non-permanent hard supports in the scene. Tobi had an impressive 2025 season, which included a championship at FISSURE Universe Episode 5 with Team Liquid. Now, he’ll be on trial with Nigma Galaxy for the foreseeable future.
Aurora Gaming: Lose Some, Win Some
Aurora Gaming also made some notable moves, benching Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyryanov and Nikita "panto" Balaganin. To replace the latter, Aurora signed Chan "Oli" Chon Kien, who had recently left Yakult Brothers, made a quick stop at Flipster Talon Esports, and is now officially Aurora’s new hard support.
Since the team has yet to find a permanent replacement for kiyotaka, they opted to borrow Rafli "Mikoto" Fathur Rahman from Talon to play at BLAST Slam IV. Meanwhile, panto has found a new opportunity elsewhere — but more on that below.
Tundra Esports: Pure Coincidence
Once again, Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko found himself benched, only to circle back to Tundra Esports. This familiar cycle is reminiscent of RTZ’s journey between EG and Secret. Now back with Tundra as their carry, Pure has another chance to prove himself before BetBoom Team inevitably comes calling again.
Tundra faces a significant challenge heading into BLAST Slam IV, but Pure has a solid history at this event — he previously won it with BetBoom. This reunion could either be a fresh start or another stop in his ongoing carousel of roster moves.
Team Spirit: Big Pantos to Fill
Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov became the latest support player to follow the trend and step away temporarily, leaving Team Spirit with a key role to fill. The organization wasted no time and brought in panto, recently benched from Aurora, to cover the position.
This new hard support will be tested immediately at BLAST Slam IV. Spirit needs a strong showing to bounce back from their underwhelming TI 2025 run, and panto has a chance to make a powerful first impression on a team with championship pedigree.
OG: Lelis Go, Lelis Go.
Despite a short stint with OG, Rodrigo "Lelis" Santos was released from the roster in under a month. To temporarily fill the gap, the organization is bringing back Johan "N0tail" Sundstein while they search for a permanent replacement.
Lelis has has a long and well-respected career, including a Top 8 finish with nouns at The International 2023 — a roster that helped spotlight the work of Filipe "Astini" Ribeiro. Now a free agent once again, Lelis remains one of the most experienced and appealing players available. It likely won’t be long before we see his name on another roster.
Closing Thoughts
And that wraps up another weekly recap on the Dota 2 roster shuffle sprinkled with dad jokes and cheeky wordplay. The competitive scene is entering a short but crucial adjustment phase. With most top-tier teams participating in BLAST Slam IV over the next three weeks, we can expect fewer announcements during this period. But that doesn’t mean things will stay quiet for long.
If you’re hungry for more updates, rumors, or confirmed signings, be sure to keep an eye on Strafe. We’ll be tracking every shake-up, every comeback, and every shocking roster twist. This is just the beginning of what’s shaping up to be a fascinating season.
Featured Image Source: Twitter (@teamliquiddota)
