Abed’s early departure from The International 2023 after his team Shopify Rebellion lost to TSM adds to a long-standing curse in his Dota 2 career. Even though he’s a top-tier mid laner, he has yet to win a best-of-three series in the TI playoffs in seven attempts.
The first TI he ever attended was TI6 with Execration, where he was eliminated in the wildcard qualifications against Escape Gaming. His TI7 run with Digital Chaos saw a slight improvement, yet it still ended in the second round of the lower bracket by LGD Gaming, still without a single best-of-three victory.
The curse followed Abed at TI8 and TI9 with Fnatic, who faced an early exit after a best-of-one loss in the first round of the lower bracket to Team Liquid at TI8 and Team Secret at TI9.
The following competitive season after joining EG, a roster deemed to be world-beaters, Abed carried high hopes. Yet, at TI10, they stumbled against VG in the second round of the lower bracket, continuing the streak.
The saga even continued through to TI11 with EG exiting at the same phase after losing to Beastcoast. Even with a new sponsor, Shopify Rebellion, at TI12, the same lineup still fell short, losing to TSM in the first round of the lower bracket.
Abed just can’t seem to catch a break, regardless of what team he’s on. It seems impossible for him to actually win a Dota 2 best of three with a team when it matters the most. Now, after yet another letdown on the big stage with his long-standing teammates Arteezy, Cr1t, and Fly, rumors are swirling about a potential split.
As rostermania approaches, the spotlight is on Abed. The prodigious mid laner still has the potential to be the crown jewel of a new team, and if the stars align, possibly break the long curse that has plagued his career.
