As many in the Dota 2 community correctly predicted, T1 has officially signed Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon ahead of the ONE Esports Singapore Major.
This move comes after the team suddenly released Souliya “JaCkky” Khoomphetsavong despite the team finishing third in the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit’s first season SEA regional league and earning an invite to the Major. 23savage was originally slated to enter the 2021 DPC with Vici Gaming while playing in China, but the team released him just days after the competition was announced due to travel restrictions brought on by COVID-19.
He never actually played in a tournament with Vici despite signing with them last September and remained teamless since his release at the start of January. 23savage did compete in the DPC with BOOM Esports as a stand-in for the final two weeks of the first season’s SEA regional league but did not remain with the organization once the event ended.
T1 received a lot of backlash for the decision to release JaCkky after he helped the team qualify for the Major, but the move was entirely within the team’s right, according to the official DPC rules page.
As a result of the move, T1 will receive a deduction to the total number of DPC points they earn during the Majoe, along with another penalty that will subtract a percentage of their 200 DPC points earned during the regional league.
23savage was one of the bigger names available in free agency, and having just become the first player to hit 12,000 MMR, the 18-year-old should be ready to roll when the Major begins on March 27.
