The North American esports franchise have recently announced the signing of an all-star South American roster ahead of the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit season.

The franchise made the announcement via their official Twitter page, describing the roster as the future of Dota 2.

Introducing our new EG Dota 2 roster.@Chris_Dota@dota2_panda@pakazgod@matthewdotaaa@Wisper_dota2

The future of Dota 2 is here and it's ours. #LIVEEVIL #VamosEG https://t.co/y4K9UYY0ZY

— Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses) November 23, 2022

The Evil Geniuses Dota 2 roster will officially include in-game leader Farith ��Matthew�� Huamancaja in position 4, and Jose ��Pandaboo�� Hernandez in position 5. In position 3 will be Adri��n “Wisper” C��spedes Dobles, alongside Jean Pierre “Chris Luck” Gonzales Salazar and Crhistian “Pakazs” Savina in position 2 and 1, respectively.

Pandaboo, Matthew, and Pakazs are all joining the Evil Geniuses from Thunder Awaken. The franchise is undergoing a rebuild after their record-breaking run at the 2022 The International tournament. The trio will be joined by their coach, Juan ��Vintage�� Angulo Nicho, who will be leading the team in the 2023 season.

Chris Luck and Wisper, on the other hand, are joining Evil Geniuses from the Peruvian esports franchise, beastcoast. Their exit from the franchise led to the breaking up of one of the longest-standing rosters in competitive Dota history.

While the franchise had a great campaign in the regional scene, winning the DPC SA 2021/2022 Tour 1: Regional Final and finishing in second place in both Tour 2: Division 1 and Tour 3: Division 1, they had a poor showing on the international stage.

They finished seventh-eighth in the tournament after losing to PSG.LDG in the lower-bracket third round. The franchise manager, Vit��ria ��Guashineen�� Otero, will also be joining the duo at Evil Geniuses in the same capacity.

The Evil Geniuses’ decision to sign a new all-South American roster was born from their poor performance on the international scene, which led to the franchise’s resolve to leave North America for the first time since 2021 and move to the South American esports scene. The franchise recorded a 9th-12th position in both the 2022 PGL Arlington Major and The International.

The previous roster, which included in-game leader Tal Aizik, Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, Egor “Nightfall” Grigorenko, Abed “Abed” Yusop, and Artour “Arteezy” Babaev, was released on November 15 to explore their options.

However, Fly has confirmed that some of the players on the roster will remain together and compete in the upcoming DPC season under a name representing North America. He shared that they would be utilizing the Division I slot that was being used by EG in the 2022 season and thereafter made vacant by their exit.

Having completed their roster for the 2023 DPC circuit, the Evil Geniuses are yet to acquire a Division I slot for the Winter Tour regional league.

It is certain the franchise will not be looking to feature in the Division II league or compete in open qualifiers. Reports have suggested the franchise will take over SD Esports’ slot in the Division I league.

While there are no confirmations of EG getting the slot, SG Esports had recently announced that the franchise will cease their operations.

However, if EG secures the slot, the franchise will be able to compete for DPC Points and possibly an invite for the first Major of the 2023 pro season.

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At The International 11, the Thunder Awaken roster made Dota 2 history by becoming the first South American lineup to ever place in the top six. Nevertheless, as the post-TI roster change got underway, the players found themselves looking for other options ahead of the next season.

This Dota 2 lineup was made up of Peruvian players Christian “Pakazs” Casanova, Herrera “DarkMago” Gonzalo, Rafael “Sacred” Yonatan, Farith “Matthew” Huamancaja, and Jose “Pandaboo” Hernandez. DarkMago and Sacred recently joined Beastcoast, leaving just three players – all free agents – on the roster.

Following a number of reports, Evil Geniuses reached an agreement with the remainder of the Thunder Awaken squad after TI11 had concluded. Pakazs, Matthew, and Pandaboo will form a new team with Jean “Chris Luck” Salazar and Adri��n “Wisper” Dobles, both of whom formerly played for Beastcoast.

As part of the negotiations, Evil Geniuses will explore the possibility of participating in South America during the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit season. This comes after the organization released its entire roster in the midst of one of the most significant reshuffles to ever take place in the American regions.

In a press release, the Chief Executive of Thunder Awaken, Eduardo Ku Bustios, expressed his gratitude to the departing players for leading the team to great heights in the TI11 tournament. He also noted the organization will remain in the Dota scene for the foreseeable future.

“When this new project started last year we dreamed of returning to The International and seeking glory, we are happy to have achieved it with you,” Bustios said.

“Thank you very much… for representing Peru and the organization. We are very happy to share these achievements and we express our best wishes for your next challenges. The sky is the limit. Thanks to all the fans for the support. We reaffirm our commitment to Dota2, we love this game and the community, so we will continue to participate.”

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The solo mid made the announcement on his Facebook page as the tournament draws to a close much later, with Tundra Esports going up against Team Secret in the grand final.? ?

��Well first of all I want to tell you that I take the time to read all the posts and whether good or bad help me grow as a professional and person, the truth is I always dreamed of this lifestyle which is gaming, and getting so far is something wonderful, I went through many happy moments as well as sad from which I knew how to get up with the support of my loved ones, friends, fans, haters etc,�� Darkmago wrote.?

��The performance we gave was not bad but it was not the expected for us we thought to go further and win, but in part it was a good experience and will help us a lot in the future, I am very pleased to have met all my teammates or what in the little time they became great friends for me, especially my baby girls: Sacred and Pakazs it’s time to take separate paths, I hope everything goes well for you all and successes in everything you do aya thank you for so much support and sorry for so little.

��I’ll come back strong “And you don’t die who leaves, only you die who forgets. Have a nice day.��? ?

Darkmago played a crucial role in the Thunder Awaken��s run in the TI11, helping them in securing an upper-bracket spot in the playoffs and a high-profile victory over the Evil Geniuses.? ?Having swept EG, TA were guaranteed a top-six position in the standings, becoming the first South American Dota 2 team to attain this feat.

During the TA run, Darkmago stood out amongst his teammates and had the spotlight in most of the games he made appearances in. A demonstration of his dominance was seen in the team’s outing against Team Liquid, where he recorded the sixth-ever Rampage using his Ember Spirit. However, Thunder Awaken lost the game, which led to their eventual exit from the tournament.? ?

The TA roster has only been a team since October 2021, although some had previously played together at Incubus Gaming. In his exit post, Darkmago referenced some of the teammates he denoted as his friends, Crhistian ��Pakazs�� Casanova and Rafael ��Sacred�� Yonatan. While he wished them the best, he stated that it was time for them to go their separate ways.? ?

Darkmago��s post did not contain the reasons behind his decision to leave the franchise, nor did he share his next destination. It could, however, be linked to ongoing contract negotiations, with him possibly getting a better offer from another franchise.?