Dota 2’s recent years have not been entirely controversial free, however what we are about to share today definitely is not something you would expect to see within the industry.
Ninjaboogie former Team SMG player shared recently that he was kicked out of the team on May 20th. Roster changes are quite usual within esports however the possible reason Ninjaboogie provided for the chop is incredible to hear. According to the former Team SMG player, he was released from the team because they believed he would perform badly due to his recent mother passing. His explanation caused community wide criticism of the esports team’s decision.
Ninjaboogie stated in a tweet:
“Kicked because my mom was on her last days and they assumed it would affect my performance. I already knew for some time that this day will come. Since she had stage 4 cancer. She passed away on monday. Imagine being fired from a job because you are about to lose a loved one.”
The statement doesnt really match the light hearted roster change announcement by Team SMG, which reads as follows via Twitter:
“Announcement on our Dota 2 Squad!
We would like to thank @ninjaboogie for his enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication for Team SMG during our time together. Today, we part ways.
Thank you Ninjaboogie. Keep Boogieing, even under gunfire 🤍🧡”
After a couple of hours no response from Team SMG was published within their social media, however Ninjaboogie continued providing further insight and information on the situation. He deemed appropriate to share this personal situation, as for proper closure and justice on the matter.
Via Twitter explained that he left the team for a brief period to be with his mother, who was suffering from stage 4 cancer. He said he was supposed to catch a flight to join the team on May 14 but received awful news that his mother had been admitted to a hospital for a possible stroke two days prior. Ninjaboogie asked to have his flight rescheduled so he could join the team for boot camp on May 20. He said that MidOne, one of his teammates, asked Ninjaboogie to give him a final decision by May 14.