In case you missed it, European Dota 2 powerhouse OG was on the verge of not qualifying for this year’s iteration of The International 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark, following the departure of team captain Sebastien “Ceb” Debs from the main squad due to family matters. Ceb’s departure has since sparked an ongoing debate regarding how tournament organizers should enforce their rulebooks.
Via their social media, the two-time TI winners announced that Ceb had taken leave from the team and did not play against Entity in the qualifier this morning as his wife recently gave birth to their child. Under normal circumstances, his departure would not pose a significant issue, as a stand-in is usually allowed as a substitute in such situations.
However, OG detailed that PGL, TI’s organizer, ruled that OG would not be able to continue with the stand-in. They pointed out that the 32-year-old’s absence conflicted with the PGL rulebook, which states that a team consisting of five players invited to the Regional Qualifier cannot adjust the roster submitted after June 3.
At first, PGL only permitted OG to use a stand-in for one day, but the organization did not account the nature of childbirth and the need for Ceb to support his family. And since OG’s one-time allowance expired after the Entity series, the organization’s hands are tied, as PGL’s rulebook strictly prohibits roster adjustments for teams invited to the Regional Qualifier.
This decision eventually stirred reactions from the Dota community worldwide, with the majority voicing their support for Ceb and demanding that PGL make an exception for him. Recently, the team suggested that Ceb may return to finish the qualifier today.
Although it seemed that the situation was resolved, some criticized OG for compromising the integrity of the tournament. Among the critics was world champion Jingjung “Sneyking” Wu, who argued that the birth of a child is not unpredictable, and that OG should have considered this before heading into the qualifier.
As expected, Sneyking’s opinion quickly garnered responses from fellow professionals and fans, many calling him out for being insensitive. Despite the negative comments directed at him, the Chinese American pro has not retracted his post and stands by his statement.
With Ceb out of the squad, OG is likely to continue with Enzo “Timado” Gianoli, Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov, Adrián Céspedes “Wisper” Dobles, Matthew “Ari” Walker, and Aleksandr “Immersion” Khmelevskoi for the upcoming round, unless PGL changes its stance on OG’s situation.
