Big changes are underway in the Dota 2 scene as Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek has officially parted ways with Team Liquid and signed on with AVULUS for the upcoming qualifiers.

Our #Dota2 roster for the start of 2025-26 Season:

⚔️ @smlngknight
🏹 Lorenof
🛡 @jonas_volek
🧠 @Ekkio_o
💉 JANTER

See you in upcoming quals for #DreamLeague S27 & #BLASTSlam IV pic.twitter.com/DQ2EkwjUz2

— AVULUS (@teamavulus) September 22, 2025

Team Liquid confirmed on social media that their long-time offlaner will be moving to the bench, praising his growth, positivity, and contributions during his tenure. SabeRLight- later shared his own statement, looking back on his time with the team with gratitude.

“With two LAN victories and five more top-3 finishes, I am very proud of this year with Team Liquid,” he wrote. “I am grateful for this amazing experience that allowed me to grow significantly as a player and as a person. Thank you to all the fans, both old and new, for your support this year. I love you all.”

A Year of Highs and Lows with Liquid

SabeRLight- joined Liquid in September 2024 after Neta “33” Shapira’s departure, coming in fresh off Liquid’s The International 2024 victory. With him, the squad remained competitive, winning titles at PGL Wallachia Seasons 3 and 4, FISSURE Universe: Episode 5, and other major tournaments.

But 2025 was a rocky year. Liquid stumbled at the Esports World Cup, exiting in the quarterfinals, and fell short at The International 2025, finishing 9th–13th after failing to make the playoffs. The disappointing result set the stage for roster changes.

Roster update: Saberlight will be moving to the bench for the next chapter of our team.

During his time with us, @jonas_volek has shown tremendous growth, dedication, and positivity. We will continue to support him as he looks toward new opportunities ahead. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/vtqLXKnS8H

— Team Liquid Dota (@teamliquiddota) September 22, 2025

As of now, Liquid has not confirmed who will step into the offlane role. Rumours suggest Michael “miCKe” Vu could role-swap from carry to offlane, though nothing has been made official. For now, the team’s line-up looks like this:

• miCKe
• Nisha
• TBD
• Boxi
• iNSaNiA

AVULUS Reveal New Roster

It didn’t take long for SabeRLight- to land on his feet. Within an hour of Liquid’s announcement, AVULUS revealed their roster for the 2025–26 season, which includes:

• Aliaksei “Smiling Knight” Svirydau
• Artem “lorenof” Melnyk
• Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek
• Ekkio
• JANTER

The team will be competing in the Western Europe Closed Qualifiers for DreamLeague Season 27 from 24–26 September, with three spots up for grabs in the main event. AVULUS will also fight for one of two slots in the BLAST Slam IV: Europe Closed Qualifier, set for 26–28 September.

For fans, it’s a shake-up worth keeping an eye on. Team Liquid now face the challenge of rebuilding after their TI stumble, while AVULUS enter the qualifiers with fresh star power and momentum.

The post SabeRLight- Leaves Team Liquid, Joins AVULUS Ahead of DreamLeague 27 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

AVULUS has officially parted ways with its Dota 2 roster after a difficult season that never quite lived up to expectations. Despite showing flashes of potential and qualifying for major events, the squad struggled to deliver results on the big stage, leading to the decision to disband.

Today we part ways with our Dota 2 roster.
This season had its ups and downs, and it’s time for change.

Respect to everyone who played under the AVULUS tag and left their mark.
Respect to everyone who supported us.

This is just the beginning — see you soon.@smlngknight @Xibbe… pic.twitter.com/evTrJpLw6h

— AVULUS (@teamavulus) August 27, 2025

A Season of Ups and Downs

The 2025 campaign began with optimism, as AVULUS managed to secure slots at S-Tier tournaments like ESL One Raleigh, DreamLeague, and PGL Wallachia. These opportunities gave the roster a chance to compete against some of the best Dota 2 teams in the world. Unfortunately, results didn’t follow. The team often exited early, finishing in bottom places across both LANs and online events.

Avulus DOTA 2 Recent Results | Image via Liquipedia.net

Even in smaller competitions, AVULUS couldn’t find much consistency. The mix of experienced veterans and rising talents was promising on paper, but it never clicked enough to take down even weaker opponents.

The Roster Says Goodbye

In its official announcement, AVULUS confirmed that the organisation will no longer be working with its current Dota 2 lineup. The players released include:

• Andreas “Xibbe” Ragnemalm
• Athanasios “dEsire” Kartsabas
• Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev
• Tal “Fly” Aizik
• Magomed “Mag” Mirzaev
• Stormstormer
• Ekkio
• Mo13ei

Two names will remain within the organisation: Aliaksei “Smiling Knight” Svirydau and Vitaliy “Worick” Brezgin. Whether they stay on for the next iteration of the roster remains to be seen.

The Tier 1.5 Struggle

AVULUS’ struggles echo a bigger issue within the Dota 2 ecosystem often called the “Tier 1.5 problem.” Teams like AVULUS are strong enough to make it through qualifiers but usually can’t keep up against Tier 1 powerhouses. The result is a frustrating cycle of qualifying, underperforming, and eventually burning out.

It’s not just AVULUS. Earlier this year, Shopify Rebellion also disbanded its Dota 2 roster after failing to break through, despite having significant financial support and high-profile players.

Looking Ahead

While the current project has come to an end, AVULUS made it clear this isn’t a permanent exit from the Dota 2 scene. The team confirmed its intention to return next season with a refreshed lineup, likely taking advantage of the post-TI shuffle when roster moves and free-agent signings are at their peak.

“Respect to everyone who played under the AVULUS tag and left their mark. Respect to everyone who supported us. This is just the beginning — see you soon,” the organisation wrote on social media.

For now, fans will have to wait and see how AVULUS approaches its rebuild. But one thing’s certain: the organisation isn’t giving up on Dota 2 just yet.

The post AVULUS Disbands Dota 2 Roster but Promises Return Next Season appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The International 2025 is almost here, but before Dota 2 fans set their sights fully on Germany, there’s one more stop on the road, FISSURE Universe Episode 6.

From 19–24 August, ten teams will battle it out online in what’s shaping up to be the final big test before the biggest tournament of the year. Eight of these squads are heading straight to TI 2025, making this event a rare sneak peek at what we might see in Berlin.

Next FISSURE Universe episode announcement? Yes, please! 🫡

The tournament kicks off with the Play-in stage, taking place from July 23 to 27. All 10 participating teams will receive direct invites, but only the top two will advance to the Main Stage.

The Main Stage will run… pic.twitter.com/ECPkDZ5HFS

— FISSURE_ENG (@fissure_eng) July 4, 2025

Who’s Playing?

The line-up is stacked. Here’s who’s in:

• Team Liquid
• PARIVISION
• Team Spirit
• Aurora Gaming
• BetBoom Team
• Team Tidebound
• Gaimin Gladiators
• Team Falcons
• Virtus.pro
• AVULUS

That’s a mix of proven champions, rising challengers, and a couple of teams looking to make a statement before the main stage lights go up.

Main stage of FISSURE Universe Ep. 6 is coming! 🔥

Announcing the participating teams for the upcoming group stage!

Invited:@TeamLiquid @parivisiongg @AuroraDota2_GG @TSpirit_Dota2@BetBoomTeam@TeamFalconsGG@TeamTidebound @GaiminGladiator

Play-in finalists:… pic.twitter.com/N5VA4j7Ck3

— FISSURE_ENG (@fissure_eng) August 8, 2025

The Format and Stakes

The group stage runs from 19–22 August, with two groups of five teams playing a round-robin, best-of-two format.

• Top team in each group → straight to the upper bracket.
• Second & third place → drop into the lower bracket.
• Bottom two in each group → out before playoffs.

From there, it’s a double-elimination bracket over the weekend, with the grand final being a best-of-five. The total prize pool? A tidy $250,000 USD, with the winner taking home $125,000. Here’s the breakdown.

Storylines to Watch

Fresh off their win at the Clavision Masters 2025, Tidebound are rolling into this event with serious momentum. But the rest of the field won’t be making life easy for them. Team Spirit and Gaimin Gladiators have proven they can show up when it matters most, while Liquid are always a threat in any format.

.@TeamTidebound have claimed their first tier-1 trophy by winning the Clavision Snow-Ruyi Masters. It is also CNDOTA’s back-to-back champions in the city of Zhangjiakou. #DOTA2 #SnowRuyi #Clavision #Tidebound pic.twitter.com/zlCmv7DMDv

— ONWEAR (@ONWEARGG) August 6, 2025

The new patch is still fresh, which means we could see some bold draft experiments as teams fine-tune their TI playbooks. For fans, it’s a win-win, top-tier competition, fresh strategies, and the chance to spot meta shifts before the world’s biggest Dota 2 event.

Where to Watch

All matches will be streamed live in English on FISSURE’s Kick channel, so you won’t have to miss a single play.

With just weeks to go before The International, FISSURE Universe Episode 6 isn’t just another tournament, it’s the last real dress rehearsal. Expect surprises, upsets, and maybe even a few mind games as teams get ready for the ultimate showdown.

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