Aurora bench TA2000, Malady amid post-TI 2024 struggle

Image: Aurora

Aurora continue to tinker with their roster in preparation for the 2025 Dota 2 season.

Aurora have announced a shift in its Dota 2 roster as we approach the end of 2024 by benching two of its Kazakhstani players, Aybek “TA2000” Tokayev and Arman “Malady” Orazbayev. The replacements for the two departing players have yet to be revealed.

Aurora’s current Dota 2 roster is as follows:

Aurora bench two players amid post-TI struggles

Aurora is currently undergoing a vigorous roster shuffle following their Top 8 finish at The International (TI) 2024. The team have struggled to establish a well-balanced lineup this season, failing to qualify for DreamLeague Season 24 and ESL One Bangkok 2024. As the new Dota 2 competitive season approaches, they have opted to make substantial changes.

Aurora benched TA2000, who had been with the team for three months, while Malady had an even shorter tenure, playing for just one month. Though there have been no official announcements regarding the future of these two players, it is likely that they will return to the European region. TA2000 previously played for Quest Esports, while Malady was part of Natus Vincere.

Over a year ago, Aurora entered Dota 2 by recruiting star players from the region, many of whom were former Talon Esports members. Unsurprisingly, Aurora quickly rose to become one of the top teams in Southeast Asia but struggled to achieve significant international success.

Aurora's performance was often a hit or miss, with occasional moments of brilliance but frequent failures when it mattered most. The team consistently placed in the Top 8 at major tournaments, which, while impressive, didn’t mark a major breakthrough for the organisation. There was an underlying sense of something missing, leading to continuous roster changes.

Will Aurora shift back to a complete Southeast Asian lineup? Or will we see more player imports take place in the struggling region?