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Team Nigma bench midlaner w33

(Photo: Team Nigma Twitter)
(Photo: Team Nigma Twitter)

Abu Dhabi-based Dota 2 organisation Team Nigma announced on Monday (7 April) they benched midlaner Aliwi "w33" Omar, who is now "free to pursue any opportunity" to join other teams.

"As of today, w33 will be moved from our active roster and become our sixth player for the time being. Omar has contributed a lot to the team and the organisation, we are grateful that he is part of the Team Nigma family. He is free to pursue any opportunity he sees fit when it arises. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you," Nigma said in a statement on its official Twitter account.

W33's benching comes after a very disappointing run for Team Nigma in the recently-concluded ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major, where they only managed to win one game in the Wildcard Stage and were thus eliminated at 16th place.

While Nigma did play in the Singapore Major without offlaner Ivan "MinD_ControL" Ivanov, who was ruled out of the tournament after contracting the coronavirus, it is still a very disheartening outcome for a team many previously thought could make a deep run in the Major.

W33 first joined the roster of Team Nigma, which was still playing under Team Liquid at the time, in June 2019 to replace Lasse "MATUMBAMAN" Urpalainen.

W33 then went on to help the team go on an epic run in the lower bracket of The International 9 (TI9) to reach the grand finals, where they fell to eventual two-time TI champions OG.

The roster then parted ways with Team Liquid shortly after TI9 to found Team Nigma in November.

In his time with Team Nigma, w33 helped the team win the WePlay! Bukovel Minor and WePlay! Dota 2 Tug of War: Mad Moon as well as finish in 9th-12th place at DreamLeague Season 13: The Leipzig Major before the 2019-2020 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) was cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

During the offseason, w33 and Nigma won the EU/CIS legs of WeSave! Charity Play and OGA Dota PIT Season 2.

In the 2021 DPC, w33 and Nigma finished in third place at the upper division of the European regional league with a 4-3 match record, which earned them a Wildcard slot in the Singapore Major.

Nigma is expected to announce w33's replacement in the coming days, as the second season of the 2021 Dota Pro CIrcuit (DPC) — where Nigma competes in the upper division of the European regional league — is set to begin on 13 April.

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