Meracle & Xfreedom Dropped by T1

T1 has announced that both Galvin “Meracle” Jian Wen and Nicholas “Xfreedom” Lim have been dropped from its roster, however that their Dota 2 team would not be disbanding. The South Korean team has certainly not had it easy as they search for a first success in competitive Dota 2, however this is not their third roster change of the season, leading to some fans questioning their actions.

What Next for T1 After the Departure of Meracle?

24-year-old Meracle only joined the team back in May following yet another roster shakeup, with his arrival having brought about an upturn in fortune. With Meracle on board, T1 finished fourth at the One Esports Dota 2 SEA League, as well as in fifth position at the ESL One Thailand 2020: Asia. Despite the loss of Meracle, T1 have confirmed that they will continue to compete in Dota 2, which will mean finding a new Carry player as soon as possible. However, with the likes of former Fnatic duo Nico “eyyou” Barcelon and Daryl “iceiceice” Pie Xiang having become free agents over recent weeks, we could well see movement sooner rather than later.

Today we part ways with Meracle and Xfreedom. We thank both for their contribution to the team and with all the best in the future. pic.twitter.com/WA4j8Uej6l

— T1 (@T1) September 16, 2020

Coach Xfreedom will also be saying his goodbyes at T1, however Head Coach Choi “cCarter” Byoung-hoon and Assistant Coach Pyo “MP” No-a will be sticking around, at least for the time being. While such changes led to many questioning the team’s future in the Dota division, T1 CEO Joe Marsh quickly put such rumours to an end, simply stating “no” when asked whether they would be disbanding.

How the Current T1 Roster Looks

The current T1 roster is down to just four players however, with Muhamma “inYourdreaM” Rizky, Samson Solomon “Sam_H” Enojosa Hidalgo, Tri “Jhocam” Kuncoro and Wilson Koh “Poloson” Chin Wei undoubtedly expecting that additional players will shortly join them. Jhocam is the player at T1 with the greatest experience, after joining back in May following the team’s first roster changes, which was also the time when coaches cCarter and MP came on board.

With T1 not due to take part in any major tournaments in the near future, it is expected that the organisation will look to take advantage of stand-ins to both practice and compete in smaller events for the immediate future.