Gocore Battle Report: Roster Shakeups, Tournament Announcements, and Ladder Dominance

The Dota 2 competitive scene saw a lot of movement this week, with major roster changes reshaping team lineups, tournament announcements building excitement for 2025, and ladder warriors pushing MMR boundaries. From BLAST's return to Malta to organizational departures in South America, the professional ecosystem continues its constant evolution heading into the new competitive season.

BLAST Slam VI Heads to Malta in February

BLAST announced the sixth edition of their Slam tournament series, set to take place in Malta across February 2025. The event will feature a hybrid format with an online group stage and Last Chance Playoffs running February 3-8, followed by LAN playoffs with a studio audience from February 13-15. The top four teams from BLAST Slam IV in Singapore will receive direct invitations to the Malta event, ensuring the highest level of competition continues from the previous iteration.

Via X

The Malta venue marks BLAST's continued commitment to bringing premier Dota 2 competition to diverse European locations, building on their successful tournament series throughout 2024 and early 2025.

Communication Score Drama: ATF Regains Voice

Team Falcons' position three player ATF announced he has recovered his communication score in Dota 2, allowing him to use voice chat again after a period of restriction. The player took to social media with characteristic humor, noting "I guess i can talk till next summary for now." Communication score restrictions typically result from player behavior reports, temporarily limiting in-game voice communication privileges until the score recovers through positive behavior patterns.

Via X

BLAST Slam IV Hero Pool Shrinks Dramatically

Statistical analysis from BLAST Slam IV revealed that 27 heroes remained unpicked throughout the entire tournament, representing a significant portion of the available hero pool. This narrow meta reflects teams' conservative approach to drafting during high-stakes competition, focusing on proven strategies rather than experimental picks.

Via Liquipedia

The unused hero roster provides insight into the current competitive meta, showing which characters teams consider unviable or situational for professional play. This concentration of picks around meta-dominant heroes often indicates either balance issues requiring developer attention or strategic trends that prioritize specific team compositions and playstyles.

Pure Climbs to 17,000 MMR, European Ladder Heats Up

Russian carry player Pure reached the 17,000 MMR milestone, securing fifth place on the European Dota 2 leaderboard. The achievement comes amid intense competition at the top of the ladder, with Nightfall currently holding the number one position. The battle for European ladder supremacy remains tightly contested, with top players separated by narrow MMR margins.

Via Dota 2

The European server consistently features some of the world's highest-skilled players, with professional competitors using ladder grinding as both practice and positioning for tournament invitations that sometimes consider regional rankings.

OG Exits South American Market with Roster Dissolution

OG announced the dissolution of their LATAM roster following the conclusion of their trial period, marking another departure from the struggling South American competitive scene. The organization stated they will no longer actively search for a new roster in the region but will continue evaluating their position in the LATAM market going forward.

Via X

The departure continues a troubling trend of international organizations reducing their South American presence, raising concerns about the region's competitive sustainability and player development infrastructure. The LATAM scene has faced ongoing challenges with organizational support and competitive depth compared to more established regions.

Visa Issues Force MOUZ Roster Change for Fissure Playground 2

MOUZ announced that Artem "lorenof" Melnyk will replace Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng at Fissure Playground 2 due to visa complications. The organization thanked lorenof for his short-notice availability while working to resolve MidOne's documentation issues.

Via X

The adjusted roster for Fissure Playground 2 includes Remco "Crystallis" Arets, Artyom "lorenof" Melnik as stand-in, Miroslav "BOOM" Bican, Daniyal "yamich" Lazebny, and Melchior "Seleri" Hillenkamp. Visa complications remain a persistent challenge for international Dota 2 competition, particularly affecting players from certain regions navigating complex immigration requirements for tournament participation.

Team Yandex Completes Roster Overhaul

Team Yandex officially announced roster changes, adding Alimzhan "Watson" Islambekov and Arman "Maladych" Orazbayev to their main roster in the first and fifth positions respectively. The organization noted they had already played official matches with the new lineup and are actively preparing for Fissure Playground 2.

Via Telegram

The changes represent significant positional adjustments for the team as they seek improved performance heading into the next competitive cycle. Teams frequently make roster moves following disappointing tournament results or in pursuit of better player chemistry and strategic flexibility.

Tidebound Esports Rebuilds Around Core Players

Tidebound Esports announced major personnel changes, with coach Zhou Yang "Blink," position two player Zhuang Jinxiang "NothingToSay," and position three player Zhang Ruida "Bach" departing the organization. The team welcomed Yao Zhengzheng "Yao" as coach, with Xu Ziliang "Echozz" and Li Kongbo "niu" joining as position two and three players respectively.

Via X

The new roster maintains Guo Xuanang "Shiro" at position one, with Lin Hao "Planet" at position four and Zhang Yiping "Y丶" at position five. In their announcement, Tidebound emphasized their commitment to upholding Chinese Dota glory despite the challenges ahead, acknowledging last season's International qualification while expressing determination to build stronger synergies with the restructured lineup.

The comprehensive rebuild signals Tidebound's ambition to compete at the highest level of Chinese Dota 2, a region known for its deep talent pool and intense internal competition. The organization retained their core structure while making strategic changes to positions that struggled during the previous competitive season.

TL;DR

• BLAST Slam VI announced for Malta in February with hybrid format
• 27 heroes went unpicked at the BLAST Slam IV tournament
• OG exits South America market, continuing regional organizational decline
• Multiple roster changes shake up Team Yandex, Tidebound Esports, and MOUZ lineups
• Pure reaches 17,000 MMR in intense European ladder competition