OG Esports has announced the departure of offlaner Sébastien “Ceb” Debs from their active Dota 2 roster. The 27-year-old is the third player to leave the team in the past week. Ceb originally joined OG in 2016 as a coach, leading the team to three Dota Pro Circuit Major victories. He transitioned to a player in 2018, and was a member of the lineup that became the first to win two International championships.

Sébastien “Ceb” Debs has been active in the competitive Dota 2 scene since the game’s inception. His first International appearance came in 2012, where he and French-majority squad mTw were eliminated in 13-16th place. Ceb found minimal success throughout the following years, failing to qualify for another International championship before making an all-important switch to coaching. The Frenchman joined OG in 2016 shortly before the Manila Major. With Ceb behind them, OG lifted the Manila and ESL One Frankfurt trophies. They went into The International 2016 as a favorite, though fell short with a 9-12th place exit.

OG’s roster changed moving into the 2017 season, though Ceb remained a consistent force. The team won the Boston and Kiev Majors before heading into TI7, where they once again suffered an early 7-8th place elimination. Roster instability in 2018 required Ceb to return to competitive play as a stand-in. OG found poor results before famously splitting up shortly before The International 2018. Ceb slotted into the roster full-time, while the lineup was completed by the addition of Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen and the return of Anathan “ana” Pham.

OG fought through the open qualifiers to reach TI8. They narrowly secured an upper bracket play-off berth, and battled past VGJ.Storm, Evil Geniuses, and PSG.LGD to reach the Grand Final. Five games and one legendary Axe play later, Ceb and co. had defeated PSG.LGD to become International champions.

The team’s winning form slowed in the following season, though they seemed to hit an even better stride as The International 2019 began. A dominant group stage run earned OG their group’s top seed and a spot in the upper bracket. In a nearly identical play-off bracket, OG defeated Newbee, Evil Geniuses, and PSG.LGD to reach their second consecutive TI Grand Final. Team Liquid remained as the only team standing in their way, and OG became the first team to ever win two International titles after a four-game series.

Regarding his departure from the team, Ceb states, “I feel like it’s time for me to find ways to give back. I see players around me with incredible talent and infinite drive. I want to help them achieve their dreams and find the success I believe they rightfully deserve.”

“I’ll be able to put my experience to even better use alongside these talents. I do not want this to sound like a definitive retirement, even though it could very well end up being it,” he explains.

OG have refrained from competing in the first two Majors of the 2019-20 Dota Pro Circuit season. The team’s active roster is now down to just Topson and captain Johan “N0tail” Sundstein. They have confirmed their participation in the DPC’s third Major cycle, though it is currently unclear who will complete the roster.

Source: OG Esports