MC out of Nigma Galaxy, team announces surprise replacement

Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov, better known as MC, is officially out of Nigma Galaxy, with Syed “SumaiL” Hassan making a surprise return to replace him. This sets up what is likely to be the complete dissolution of one of Dota 2’s most enduring and successful teams.

MC has long been known for his clutch plays, versatility, and large hero pool. All this sees him regarded as one of the greatest Dota 2 offlaners of all time. He was a founding member of Team Nigma in February 2019, creating the organization alongside longtime Team Liquid teammates Maroun “GH” Merhej, Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi, and Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi. Across Team Liquid and Nigma, that roster core won a slew of tournaments, including The International 2017.

His departure from the team follows years of underwhelming results for Nigma Galaxy, with the team failing to qualify for The International for three consecutive years. News of his departure was followed by the return of SumaiL to Nigma Galaxy, who will be returning to the roster for 2024.

What happened to MinD_ContRoL?

MC announced his departure from Nigma Galaxy on November 20, 2023, after almost 5 years with the team and more than eight years of playing with KuroKy.

Details for why the split happened were not given by the player or the organization. The split seems to be amicable however, as the organization and MC sent each other well-wishes on social media. MC thanked his now-former teammates and other members of the organization on Twitter:

Aside from MinD_ContRol, Yuma “Yuma” Langlet and Kasra “Mikey” Mesbah have also departed from the Nigma Galaxy roster. GH remains with the organization but announced that he is taking a break from competitive Dota for the foreseeable future.

SumaiL returns to the Nimga Galaxy player roster

Following the departures of MC, Yuma, and Mikey, as well as GH’s break, KuroKy was the only member of the 2023 Nigma Galaxy team that was remaining on the roster. Nigma discussed its rebuilding plans with the surprise announcement of the return of Said “SumaiL” Hassan to the Nigma Galaxy Roster.

SumaiL is no stranger to playing in Nigma Galaxy. He spent an entire year with the team across 2022 and 2023 before being deactivated and loaned to Team Aster. 

Nigma Galaxy has yet to share any more plans for its Dota 2 team roster. After a generally poor 2023 and underwhelming years before that, the roster seems to be going through a major revamp. The team needs three more players before it has a full roster for the 2024 season.