Talon Esports has released two of its prized acquisitions in Tal “Fly” Azik and Filipino player Kim "Gabbi" Villafuerte after the squad failed to live up to the expectations despite its star-studded lineup in the SEA DPC Winter Tour Division II.
The esports organization announced the departure of the two in a post on its Facebook page on Wednesday, Jan. 19 and stated that the decision was mutual on both sides.
“Today, we are mutually parting ways with our Dota 2 players, Fly and Gabbi as we head into the DPC Winter tour offseason. The ongoing impact of COVID-19 on travel restrictions in SEA has been a challenge for our players and we are proud to have them finish our first tour in Thailand together,” Talon said in the statement.
Talon, more known for its teams in other esport titles like League of Legends and Overwatch, took a step into the professional Dota 2 scene just last November with a star-studded squad that featured Fly, Gabbi, veteran Damien “Kpii” Chok, and Indonesians Rafli Fathur “Mikoto” Rahman and Brizio Adi Putra “Hyde” Budiana .
The squad secured a slot in the Division II through the second open qualifier but struggled to make its mark in the tournament. Talon finished with a disappointing 3-4 win-loss record for a fifth-place finish.
Talon rued that the current COVID-19 situation has hampered its campaign and ‘hasn’t allowed all parties to align optimally’ which eventually resulted to the departure of the two.
“Given how the COVID-19 has already affected the competitive scene, we believe both players and the management should share the same mindset and values to navigate through the remainder of this year,” the statement added.
Talon was supposed to put up a camp in the Philippines before the plan was shelved due to the COVID-19 restrictions in the country, prompting the organization to put up the camp in Thailand instead.
“The ever-changing circumstances hasn’t allowed all parties to align optimally thus Fly and Gabbi have safely returned home and will be allowed to seek new teams effective immediately,” it furthered.
Talon aims to use the off-season to reevaluate its roster as it keeps its Division II spot in the next tour.
“Our organization strive to put our teams in the bet position to excel and win. Supporting out player whilst trusting our guidance in return. We greatly appreciate the sacrifice and dedication of both individuals and wish them nothing but best going forward We will be taking this time to reevaluate our roster and will be competing in the upcoming DPC SEA Tour,” the statement ended.