Nouns Part Ways with Stormstormer and Astini
Nouns have been part of the Dota 2 pro scene for almost two years. Debuting in the North American region, the team wasted no time proving they were Division I material. Going into the 2023 DPC, Nouns became one of the top 3 teams in the NA region to compete for a spot in the Major.
From a tough road to TI to a surprising Top 8 finish at The International 2023, Nouns shocked the Dota 2 community.
Post TI Roster Shuffle
- Yuma "Yuma" Langlet (Pos1 - Stand-in)
- Daniel "Stormstormer" Schoetzau (Pos2 - Stand-in)
- Nicolas "Gunnar" Lopez (Pos3)
- Rodrigo "Lelis" Santos (Pos4)
- Tal "Fly" Aizik (Pos5 - Captain)
After TI12, Valve announced their removal of the DPC system, which resulted in many changes in the pro scene. Nouns had brought in Yuma, Stormstormer, and Fly as their captain. With Stormstormer taking over the Mid role, Gunnar moved to Offlane.
Even though these changes were just a few days before the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, Nouns adapted quickly, pushing TSM to their limits in the NA Qualifier Grand Finals. Nouns won Game 1 and 106-minute Game 2 but lost the remaining three games.
Nouns and BetBoom Dacha Dubai
Stormstormer dominates the NA & SA qualifiers with QoP Credit: Valve
With Yuma joining the team as their official Pos1 player, Nouns entered the BetBoom Dacha Dubai Closed Qualifiers. Nouns beat Shopify Rebellion, who were favorites, early on in the tournament. Stormstormer played exceptionally well on his Queen of Pain and Pangolier, leading them to win against Heroic in the Grand Finals. His Assault Cuirass build on QoP in game 2 was an excellent counter against Heroic's Tide Hunter, Pangolier, and Alchemist.
Moving into the BetBoom Dacha main tournament, however, Nouns' performance took a hit when facing other regional teams. In the Group Stage, they were able to draw the series against Azure Ray, BetBoom Team, and Xtreme Gaming but lost against Spirit and OG. Failing to make it to the top 4 spot in their group, Nouns were eliminated.
Nouns Part Ways with Stormstormer and Astini
Following their defeat at BetBoom Dacha, Nouns' captain Fly announced that the team decided to part ways with Stormstormer and thanked him for his time with them. It is no doubt that his impact on the team, though short-lived, was an incredible experience for both. His ideas and perspective on Dota 2 will be helpful for Nouns to become a better team.
Filipe "Astini" Astini tweeted about his departure from the team shortly before Fly's announcement. Even though they were good players, there was a miscommunication between Astini and the organization.
"Just wasn't what I was expecting from the org when accepted the tryout. Miscommunication, Unlucky."
Will Gunnar replace Stormstormer?
Gunnar is an exceptional mid-player. He proved it during TI12 when winning against Tundra to secure their Upper Bracket spot. The Dota 2 community is torn between wanting Gunnar in the mid role and offlane role, though he has transitioned into an offlaner recently and is doing well at that.
Nouns have not made any further announcements at this time. Will they get a new mid or a new offlaner?
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Featured Image: Valve