StrafeStrafe Esports
paiN Gaming Returns After Six Year Hiatus!

paiN Gaming Returns After Six Year Hiatus!

Dota 2

Otomo

3 Feb, 2026, 07:23

|

Last updated: 3 Feb, 2026, 07:27

paiN Gaming is back and ready to take another crack at the top level of Dota 2 competition. The Brazilian organization signed Peru Rejects, immediately qualifying for two major LAN events in the next two months.

This is the first time paiN has fielded a Dota 2 roster in nearly six years. Their last lineup was released on April, 2020.

paiN Gaming signs Peru Rejects after several impressive qualifier runes

Dota 2 Parker
Parker Dota 2 when he was playing for Beastcoast.
Image Source: Facebook

For over a year now, Heroic was seen as the strongest team in South America. Last year they attended 13 major tournaments, including The International and Esports World Cup. Heroic was either automatically invited to tier-1 events, or cruised their way through the qualifiers to compete.

This year has seen a change in the South America Dota 2 scene. Heroic released two players, David "Parker" Nicho Flores, and Elvis "Scofield" Peña. Parker and Scofield went on to make Peru Rejects. The two players went on to dazzle in two qualifiers. Winning both DreamLeague Season 28 and ESL One Birmingham Qualifiers. In both of these closed qualifiers, Peru Rejects defeated Heroic a combined four times.

Clearly the region has been shaken up, and paiN Gaming has scooped up a strong lineup that so far has dominated the region. However, Heroic did ultimately beat Peru Rejects 3-0 in the latest PGL Wallachia Qualifiers. So perhaps things aren't as clear cut as before.

paiN Gaming commits to an all Peruvian lineup

paiN Gaming signs Peru Rejects
How the tables turn. (Credit: Peru Rejects).

One notable aspect about paiN Gaming was their commitment to an all Brazilian lineup. Throughout their decade in competing, every player, apart from Aliwi "w33" Omar in 2019, was Brazilian.

paiN was committed to home-grown talent, and refused to expand to other nationalities. This has changed with the recent lineup. All of Peru Rejects are Peruvian, who have a bit of a rivalry with their Brazilian neighbors.

Personally, I am happy to see more representation from South America. It's a region rich with talent that has gone underrepresented too long. This is a good step by paiN Gaming and hopefully more will follow.

paiN Gaming Dota 2 lineup

  • David "Parker" Nicho Flores
  • Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera
  • Frank "Frank" Ayala
  • Elvis "Scofield" Peña
  • Yelsthin "Elmisho" Hurtado

READ MORE:  Aurora Gaming are the FISSURE Universe Episode 8 Champions

Featured Image Source: Peru Rejects

Latest news

DreamLeague Season 29: Format, Schedule, Fixtures and More

DreamLeague Season 29: Format, Schedule, Fixtures and More

After a short break and a couple of smaller tournaments, we are back to the ESL Pro Tour, with DreamLeague Season 29 deciding the final round of points before the Esports World Cup 2026.
6h
Eric Oliveira

Lamborghini to Sponsor DreamHack Events

An unlikely partnership, but one that is as real as anything else; ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced a long-term deal with none other than Italian luxury car brand Automobili Lamborghini. This means that Lamborghini will be the Official Automotive Partner for DreamHack events moving forward, starting with DreamHack Atlanta (May 15-17) in the US.
19h
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Parker Talked About His Salary on Heroic: Part of the Sustainability Problem

David "Parker" Nicho Flores talked about his salary when he played for Heroic and uncovered part of the mystery surrounding the cost of maintaining a competitive team in the Dota 2 professional circuit.
10 May
Eric Oliveira

KeSPA Returns to the Table: Partnership Resumes with Esports Nations Cup for 2026 Edition

KeSPA and the Esports Foundation have to an agreement, bringing the South Korean association back into the fold as National Team Partner, and by extension returns South Korea to the list of nations for the ENC.
9 May
Foo Zen-Wen

Best Carry Heroes To Grind MMR In Dota 2 Patch 7.41c

In this list we will go through three easy-to-play but highly effective carry heroes. These guys have a good win rate across all brackets without requiring much to master.
9 May
Otomo

The Biggest Losers Of Dota 2 Patch 7.41c

In this article, we will go through the biggest losers of Dota 2 patch 7.41c and discuss which remain viable and which should be avoided for now.
8 May
Otomo

Dota 2 Patch 7.41c Sends Lone Druid Into Hibernation

Dota 2 patch 7.41c is here, and it has brought much-needed changes to the meta. The most broken heroes received sizable nerfs, while a few unpicked heroes get some love.
7 May
Otomo

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match