Gary Ongko, the CEO of Boom Esports, has officially unveiled that a major overhaul is happening within their revered Dota 2 squad. With an eye firmly fixed on the upcoming ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 in Malaysia, slated to kick off on December 11th, he has set his sights on assembling an improved team as soon as possible.
During a space session in X last evening, Gary disclosed that the entire roster that played in The International 12 SEA Qualifier last month has parted ways with the team, leaving only the seasoned veteran, Saeiful “Fbz” Ilham, as their starter. Nevertheless, Ongko revealed that the management has amassed the potential new candidates, poised to be unveiled in the imminent days, potentially by the next week.
“I mean, officially we have no roster now. But hopefully it will be done soon, because we want to play in ESL Malaysia, which is in about the next ten days or so. Our plan right now is completing our roster.” he said. “We only have one player in the team, officially. We do have a plan for this week. Hopefully we can announce our new signing by the end of the week, if not then by monday or tuesday later.”
Intriguingly, Ongko hinted that this grand scheme had been brewing well before the curtains fell on the monumental TI12, foreseeing the contracts of several players expiring this month. However, the seasoned executive chose to bide his time, gauging the mounting interest from rival teams, all vying for a similar edge in the tumultuous post-TI market.
“It also happens with every team in Southeast Asia, I mean no one really has a roster yet. A lot of moving parts. And obviously TI just ended right? If you want top players you have to wait after that. It’s just natural that there will be a lot of offers for those players in TI. So we just have to wait.”
Delving into their recruitment vision, he emphasized a definitive strategy, continuing to get talents from outside Indonesia. Significantly, he hinted at exploring transfer options beside free agents or loans, even entertaining the prospect of securing players from the fiercely competitive European scene.
“We want some imports, that’s plan A. Maybe a buyout will be involved, it’s kinda complicated.” he remarked. “Can we get someone from Western Europe? Of course, bro! I can bring a Chinese player, i can bring someone from Europe. But in terms of salary the org needs to give a competing offer. You see, T1 can brought ana and Topson. And then Bleed have imported coach from EU, and SMG have player from there as well. So there’s no reason why we can’t get it.”
While details on the incoming players remain shrouded in secrecy, Ongko tantalizingly teased, “If all goes according to plan, expect to see some familiar faces,” hinting at the potential homecoming of seasoned veterans, poised to revive the glory days for the Hungry Beast.
