WePlay! Esports official statement regarding second rosters in Pushka League

For the last couple of days, we have been hearing many questions about our decision regarding Ninjas in Pyjamas and the fact that teams OG and Virtus.pro have two rosters each in WePlay! Pushka League Division 1. 

Let me just start by saying that when it comes to doing leagues, the importance of organizations can’t be underestimated. It’s much easier to maintain a stable schedule and competitive integrity when you deal with full-fledged teams that care about reputation and build long-term plans, rather than with five man-stacks.

This is why the league started with the announcement of twelve solid teams. We are planning to hold on to them for as long as it is possible and as long as those teams work with us. Unfortunately, after Peter “ppd” Dager announced his retirement from Dota 2, Ninjas in Pyjamas lost their roster and had to sign new players. In the spirit of working with organizations, we accepted the former Chicken Fighters squad as the new NiP roster in WePlay! Pushka League Division 1.

It was important for us to balance the big-name teams and up and coming talent. This is where the qualifiers and Division 2 come into the picture. I’d like to point out that everyone had a chance to win Сlosed Qualifiers, and VP.Prodigy and OG Seed earned the right to play in WePlay! Pushka League Division 1 fairly. 

I’d like to point out that both Virtus.pro and OG, as organizations, took a risk by recruiting a second squad and signing contracts with players before the qualifiers. The B-squads earned their way into WePlay! Pushka League Division 1, therefore the risk paid off (in the short run at least). We don’t see any reason to expel VP.Prodigy or OG Seed from the league.

Both Virtus.pro and OG are professional organizations with an impeccable reputation, which they want to retain. The desire to prove to your organization, who should be considered the A-squad, and the fact that series between them will get a lot of attention, strengthens the belief that the matches will be fair and competitive.