Nouns leaves the Dota 2 competitive scene
The Dota 2 world received a bombshell announcement today. North American team Nouns has announced they are leaving the competitive scene.
This puts the NA region in an odd spot, with no prominent team to represent them in future tournaments. With Shopify Rebellion rebuilding the squad and no Quincy Crew or Evil Geniuses around.
Nouns' middling success
An unexpected result at TI 13 but a welcome one.Since it's inception, Nouns struggled to find a place in the Dota 2 competitive scene. The team secured a third place finish in the DPC Tours 1 and 2. Solid performance but not enough to qualify for a Major.
Nouns first big success was getting silver in the last Tour of 2023. The team qualified for the Bali Major but got eliminated in the group stage. It wasn't a good sign for the North American squad to place last in their first international event.
The team improved by the time they competed in The International 2023, making it to top eight. This was the highest placement among all North American team and solidified Nouns as a squad worth watching.
If there is one word to describe Nouns performance in 2024 it would be inconsistent. The team performed well in PGL Wallachia Season 2 and Elite League season 2 but was among the last place teams at both Riyadh Masters and The International.
While the team didn't announce why they are disbanding, it's clear that two years of competing without securing a trophy or a podium finish took it's toll on the organization.
An odd time to disband
More Dota 2 tournaments than ever. (Credit: PGL)Frankly this news comes at an interesting time in the Dota 2 competitive scene. With Vale removing the DPC, more organizations are hosting their own tournament. There were four-million dollar tournaments in 2023, while this year had 12, and there might be even more in 2025.
There are more competitions than ever in the tier-2 scene as well. Such as the USD $100,000 Leonbet event or the recently concluded $200,000 Relog Championship.
To summarize, the Dota 2 scene is experiencing a boom right now and will likely continue to grow in the next year. PGL has announced plans to continue hosting tournaments until the end of 2026.
Dota 2 teams are the most expensive to maintain. Players in Southeast Asia are asking for USD $10,000 a month, an enormous sum for the region. One can assume that the best team in North America would have similar if not higher salaries. And with no massive success, it makes sense for Nouns to leave the Dota 2 scene right now.
Nouns former Dota 2 lineup
- Yuma "Yuma" Langlet
- Philipp "Copy" Bühler
- Nicolas "Gunnar" Lopez
- Rodrigo "Lelis" Santos
- Tal "Fly" Aizik
READ MORE: The Reality of MMR inflation in Dota 2
Featured Image Source: Nouns