Gaimin Gladiators' Rise and Fall in Dota 2

After the shock of learning that the Gaimin Gladiators dropped out of The International 2025, many fans began wondering if this decision was connected to the team’s performance. Since GG are still a relatively young organization in the Dota 2 scene, let’s revisit their journey over the past four years and analyze how they performed leading up to this surprising exit.

The original roster first competed under the name Team Tickles, featuring most of the players who would go on to achieve the team’s greatest accomplishments. Let’s take a closer look at their history and results so far.

The first iteration of the roster didn't have Quinn as a midlaner. — Credit: AFK Gaming

Gaimin Gladiators: Formation and First Year

The embryo of what became the Gaimin Gladiators started as Team Tickles in 2022. Coached by the world-renowned ImmortalFaith, with Melchior "Seleri" Hillenkamp as captain, the roster already included most of the cores that would define their best years.

That year, the Gladiators emerged as Western Europe DPC champions, defeating Team Liquid on their path to the top. Their first Major appearance was a 4th place at the ESL Stockholm Major, where they showcased great potential. Later, they placed 10th at their first International.

They lost to OG after their stellar performance on the ESL One Stockholm. Fair Enough. — Credit: Strafe

Gaimin Gladiators: The Quinn Era

Following their underwhelming International run, the team made a key change: Quinn "Quinn" Callahan joined as midlaner in December 2022. Almost immediately, the move paid off, as they defeated Team Spirit to win the BetBoom Xmas Show.

In 2023, the Gladiators became a juggernaut, winning every DPC Major of the year, a feat unmatched in the scene. However, two trophies eluded them: 4th place at the Riyadh Masters 2023 after losing to Talon Esports, and a 2nd place at The International 2023, where they once again fell to Team Spirit — the very squad they had beaten in Quinn’s debut tournament.

After such dominance, losing the two most important tournaments was devastating. — Credit: Strafe

Heading into late 2023, the Gaimin Gladiators kept their performance steady and secured another 2nd place at ESL One Kuala Lumpur, closing the year on a bittersweet note. Still, the roster remained intact during the post-International shuffle, showing determination to keep pushing forward.

2024: No More Gold

Coming off their peak in 2023, the following year felt underwhelming. In early 2024, they finished Top 6 at BetBoom Dacha, DreamLeague Season 22, and the Elite League. Meanwhile, Team Falcons burst onto the scene, stealing the spotlight at ESL One Birmingham, where Gaimin Gladiators faced performance issues and finished dead last.

Their momentum shifted at DreamLeague Season 23, where they secured 2nd place, followed by a breakthrough victory at the Riyadh Masters 2024. Expectations soared as they entered The International 2024 as champions of Riyadh, with Marcus "Ace" Christensen playing on home soil.

This time, they came in as Riyadh Masters Champions and Ace was playing at home. — Credit: Esports World Cup

Unfortunately, history repeated itself. Team Liquid finally broke their “runner-up curse” and swept the Gladiators 3-0 in the Grand Finals, claiming their second International title. For GG, it was another heartbreaking 2nd place.

The loss hit Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov especially hard. He took time off on October 3rd and officially left the team on October 11th. Alimzhan "watson" Islambekov stepped in as his replacement, but the Gladiators ended 2024 without a single Top 3 finish after The International.

2025: Another Silver Year and a Big Bad Surprise

As 2025 began, GG faced another uphill climb. In February, Seleri took a break and officially left the team in March, replaced by Arman "Malady" Orazbayev.

Before Seleri’s departure, GG had secured 2nd place at BLAST Slam II. More silvers followed: another 2nd at FISSURE Universe Episode 4 (losing to BetBoom Team), a Top 3 at BLAST Slam III, and a final 2nd place at PGL Wallachia Season 5.

BetBoom once again proved to be their kryptonite, denying GG multiple titles. — Credit: Strafe

Their form dipped further with 5th at the Esports World Cup 2025, 6th at Clavision Masters 2025, and 7th at FISSURE Universe Episode 6. Shortly after, one of the team’s owners announced on Twitter that the Gladiators would not be competing at The International 2025.

Closing Thoughts

Gaimin Gladiators embodied resilience over the last three years. They lost back-to-back International Grand Finals, bounced back multiple times, endured roster shake-ups, and still managed to remain contenders. Yet, just a week before The International 2025, they withdrew in shocking fashion.

The reasons remain unclear, with legal and contractual issues reportedly preventing details from surfacing. For now, all we can do is wait to learn the truth behind this drama involving one of the strongest rosters in modern Dota 2 history — an organization that came within inches of lifting the Aegis, but never quite sealed the deal.

If you want to stay fully up to date with the Dota 2 scene—covering tournaments, roster changes, metagame shifts, and in-depth analysis — make sure to visit the news section on the Strafe website!

Featured Image Source: Flickr (dota2ti)