In a surprising turn of events, Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov announced that he had been kicked from Tundra Esports shortly before facing Shopify Rebellion on the second day of ESL DreamLeague Season 22 last night. This revelation caught the attention of Dota 2 spectators around the world, who are questioning both parties involved.
Making waves on social media, MC said that he is now looking for a new team, sparking widespread speculation from fans worldwide. This sudden change triggered what became the most confusing substitution in the professional Dota scene so far, as Tundra quickly announced former PuckChamp player Vladislav “Laise” Lais and its former player Ilyas “Kasane” Gainullin as stand-ins after the clash against SR.
The Dota 2 fans found themselves grappling with a maelstrom of emotions, as MC had played an integral role in Tundra’s journey, propelling them to qualify for DreamLeague Season 22 and ESL One Birmingham 2024.
Shortly after the announcement, MC joined streamer Janne “gorgc” Stefanovski to shed light on his surprise exit. The 29-year-old revealed that internal conflicts prompted him to issue an ultimatum to Tundra Esports. Expressing disappointment over management decisions, MC highlighted the reassignment of the captaincy to Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko. He also voiced his disapproval regarding the selection of David “MoonMeander” Tan as the team’s coach and Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg as the team manager.
Meanwhile, Tundra disputed MinD_ContRoL’s claims, saying that the player had told them that he “would no longer participate and represent Tundra” unless demands deemed unreasonable by the team were met. The organization said that MinD_ContRoL has been dropped to inactive and is facing an internal disciplinary investigation.
As the controversy remains unresolved, questions persist regarding Tundra’s choice to drop one of its key players. After all, this is not the first time that Tundra has abruptly removed a player from the team. Not long ago, Enzo “Timado” Gianoli revealed that Tundra had kicked him from the squad just days before DreamLeague Season 22 began because they wanted to sign Pure.
The drama has also drawn a humorous response from some of the professionals competing in DreamLeague Season 22. The hashtag #roadtoriyadh, which is the tagline for the competition, has been flooded with responses to the MC-Tundra controversy.
