Filipino ‘Dota 2’ player DJ Mampusti rejoins UK-based Fnatic

Gelo Gonzales

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Filipino ‘Dota 2’ player DJ Mampusti rejoins UK-based Fnatic
Prior to his return, Mampusti helped Fnatic win $1.4 million at last year's The International 6

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Dota 2 player Djardel “DJ” Mampusti has rejoined UK-based professional Dota 2 team Fnatic. The team announced Mampusti’s arrival through an email sent to Rappler on Wednesday, April 5. 

Fnatic’s Dota 2 team is housed in Malaysia but the organization is considered a European team. It has registered offices in Europe (England and the Netherlands) and Australia. 

Mampusti was part of the Fnatic team that finished 4th in The International 6 (TI6), the biggest ever tournament for Dota 2 in terms of total prizes ($20.7 million). The 4th-place finish earned him and his team $1,453,932. 

It was in the same tournament where Philippine team TnC accomplished a Cinderella finish, winding up 7th and taking home $519,262, when few expected them to make it past the first rounds.

Prior to TI6, the high-earning Mampusti helped Fnatic finish 6th in Manila Major 2016, held in June that year. 

Fnatic has recognized Mampusti’s efforts, saying that he was part of the “magic run at TI6 that saw our most successful Major finish.”

Fnatic also said they’re hyped to see Mampusti return to the team – a team that they said is “ready to return to a level of play” that has made them “so feared throughout Southeast Asia.”

After TI6, Mampusti departed for a sortie with Philippine team Execration at the Mineski-Pro Gaming League (MPGL) in September 2016. He and his team won the tournament, taking home $30,000. 

Now, Mampusti returns to Fnatic, crediting his great relationship with management for the comeback.

“When people ask me why I rejoined Fnatic, the answer is always the same – ‘Because [team manager Eric Khor] asked me to.’ It might sound like a joke, but it is actually testament to how close I am with the management and players from Fnatic. I think that we are building a great team and I think we can go far.”

Here’s Fnatic’s latest official roster:

#1 – Galvin “Meracle” Kang Jian Wen (Singapore)
#2 – Kim “QO” Seon-yeop (South Korea)
#3 – Chong Xin “Ohaiyo” Khoo (Malaysia)
#4/#5 – Djardel Jicko “DJ” Mampusti (Philippines)
#4/#5 – Kim “Febby” Yong-min (South Korea)

The current team’s first outing will be at the qualifiers for The Summit 7 to be held on Friday, April 7. The Summit 7 is a tournament organized by US-based Beyond The Summit, whose tournament last year had a prize pool of $100,000. Fnatic will be skipping the upcoming Kiev Major 2017 that kicks off on April 27.

Visit fnatic.com for more information. – Rappler.com

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Gelo Gonzales

Gelo Gonzales is Rappler’s technology editor. He covers consumer electronics, social media, emerging tech, and video games.