Seleri keys a Gaimin Gladiators Dota 2 roster change mid-qualifier

Gaimin Gladiators announced a surprising roster change mid-tournament that could have lasting impacts on the team’s potential for success.

Roster changes are regular occurrences for competitive esports teams, both during the offseason and between tournaments. Players get traded, burned out, or are otherwise unable to play. While some end up returning, the discretion ultimately remains with team management and depends on how their replacement is fitting in. The most recent round of trades and benching have certainly shaken things up, potentially enough to affect The International in September 2025.

Swapping players in the middle of a tournament, however, is far less common. Yet Gaimin Gladiators has sent Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp to the bench just before one of its final matches to qualify for FISSURE Universe Episode 4.

Why did Seleri leave the Gaimin Gladiators roster?

Seleri is stepping down from the Gaimin Gladiators Dota 2 roster due to apparent burnout. In the middle of the Western Europe Qualifer for FISSURE Universe Episode 4, Gaimin Gladiators announced there would be an immediate roster change.

Posting on X, the organization offered an official statement that says the team has placed captain and support player Seleri into an inactive position. The post clarified that the player needed an extended break to deal with an intense period of match scheduling. This decision came in the middle of the FISSURE Universe Episode 4 Western Europe Closed Qualifier. To complete the match against Yakult Brothers, Gaimin Gladiators swapped in Arman “Malady” Orazbayev from L1GA TEAM’s inactive roster.

Seleri confirmed that it was his decision to take a break for the time being. He further expressed his happiness that Malady would be able to lane with carry Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov. Neither he nor Gaimin Gladiators have provided an immediate timeline for another roster change that would return him back to an active role. However, the implication stands that Seleri will be returning at some point in the future.

One of the remaining original members of Gaimin Gladiators, Seleri has been on the team since 2022 and has been playing Dota 2 competitively since 2015. The team has taken home several major prizes during his tenure, including second place at both The International 2023 and 2024. Seleri has also been seen as a guest analyst, including at ESL One Birmingham 2024 last year.

Malady steps into support for Gaimin Gladiators roster

Gaimin Gladiators adds L1GA TEAM member Malady to its roster as support while Seleri is on hiatus due to burnout.

Malady has been a major part of the Dota 2 esports scene since 2019, playing for a number of teams including Natus Vincere and HellRaisers. He spent significant time on the European leaderboard based on MMR and has exceeded 12,000 points. Given that supports mainly serve to protect their carry, many fans have pointed out how uncommon his extreme MMR rating is. Despite his ranked queue success, L1GA TEAM promptly benched Malady after acquiring him. Many fans are excited to see him play again with Gaimin Gladiators, at least for now.

Until Seleri comes back or another player gets swapped, this is the current Gaimin Gladiator roster:

• Alimzhan “watson” Islambekov
• Quinn “Quinn” Callahan
• Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard
• Erik “tOfu” Engel
• Arman “Malady” Orazbayev

The team officially qualified for Fissure Universe Episode 4, placing second in the Western Europe qualifiers after Night Pulse. With the actual tournament in late March, Gaimin Gladiators will see if the roster change pays off.