Team Secret departs from Dota 2 scene, leaving behind long-standing legacy

Olivia Richman
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dota 2 team secret farewell
Image Credit: Team Secret via X

One of the most iconic teams in Dota 2 has left the scene. Team Secret announced its departure after a disappointing last few years.

“Until next time, Dota 2. A lot of you have been wondering about the status of our Dota 2 division. We are still interested in compelling opportunities, but remain passive in seeking a return to the scene,” Team Secret tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).

The End of an Era For Dota 2

Team Secret was an esports organisation born to compete in Dota 2 specifically. Kuro Salehi ‘KuroKy‘ Takhasomi and Johan ‘n0tail‘ Sundstein set out to make their own team after their current teams, Natus Vincere and Fnatic, didn’t perform as expected at The International 2014.

The OG team featured KuroKy, n0tail, Clement ‘Puppey‘ Ivanov, Gustav ‘s4’ Magnusson and Tal ‘Fly’ Aizik, a stacked squad with veterans of the scene. It led to an impressive 2014-2015 season, but roster changes saw that come to a surprising halt soon after.

Since then, it seems Team Secret has been chasing another International win, but nothing has worked. Puppey continued to switch the roster around for years, but fans were consistently disappointed. Earlier this month, Puppey left Team Secret after 11 years to coach for PARIVISION, hinting at the end of an era.

A recent roster iteration included:

  • Captain: Puppey
  • Player: Remco ‘Crystallis’ Arets
  • Player: Miroslav ‘Boom’ Bican
  • Player: Teng ‘Kordan’ Yao
  • Head Coach: Seung ‘Heen’ Gon Lee
  • Assistant Coach: Tue ‘Ah Fu’ Soon Chuan

It was a bittersweet announcement from Team Secret on February 7th. While it never feels good to see legends leave a scene, many fans pointed out the organisation’s struggles throughout the past few years. Still, remembering the highlights of Team Secret’s Dota 2 run has left many esports fans with heartfelt memories.

Team Secret was not one of the teams to qualify for ESL One Birmingham 2026. But qualifying team Aurora Gaming called Team Secret ‘legends,’ asking them to return to the scene, and fellow qualifiers OG Esports, left a similarly sad response to the tweet.

Olivia Richman

Deputy Editor
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Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
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