Gaimin Gladiators handed major boost for The International 2023
Gamers8Dota 2 giants Gaimin Gladiators have cleared a major hurdle as the team steps up preparations for The International 2023.
In a post on X/Twitter, Gaimin Gladiators announced that German support Erik ‘tOfu’ Engel’s U.S. visa situation has finally been cleared. This means that the team will be able to field its full roster at The International 2023.
“We want to give a shoutout to the lawyers Michael Wildes and Josh Wildes,” Gaimin Gladiators wrote. “Without them, we would have been searching for a stand-in.”
The news brings an end to weeks of speculation about the team’s lineup for TI 2023. In June, tOfu revealed that the process of obtaining a visa to enter the United States was “complex” because of a “conflict” in which he had been involved years earlier.
tOfu did not disclose the nature of the incident, but then his teammate Anton ‘dyrachyo’ Shkredov shed more light on the matter. According to him, tOfu was “banned” from the visa waiver program after stating during a previous trip to the United States that he was entering the country for work purposes despite being on a tourist visa.
Gaimin Gladiators to field full roster at TI 2023
The news of tOfu’s availability is a major boost for Gaimin Gladiators as they chase their first TI trophy. At last year’s event, the team finished in 9th-12th place.
“Now we can be the absolute best again,” the organization said.
Gaimin Gladiators have been the No.1 team in the Dota 2 scene in 2023. They made history by winning the Majors in Lima, Berlin, and Bali, becoming the first team to win every Major in a single season.
At Riyadh Masters 2023, the $15 million tournament hosted as part of Gamers8, the team finished in fourth place, pocketing $1.2 million.
Gaimin Gladiators are one of the 12 teams invited to The International 2023 based on DPC points. The list of participants for the event in Seattle will be finalized today with the conclusion of the Western Europe qualifier.
