Ceb and N0tail Step Back from Games of The Future 2025 Due to Political Issues

Several prominent figures in Dota 2, including Ceb and N0tail, have opted out of the upcoming Games of the Future 2025 tournament due to concerns regarding the event’s political affiliations.

This decision comes amid significant scrutiny from the Dota 2 community regarding the Abu Dhabi LAN’s ties to Russian state-backed initiatives, particularly following the 2024 edition that featured Russian President Vladimir Putin at its opening ceremony.

Ceb announced the team’s withdrawal in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), representing the Monkey Business roster, which includes him, N0tail, Topson, and other long-time teammates. He explained that the team had “decided to withdraw from the event” after reflecting on the concerns surrounding it. Ceb emphasized, “When an event becomes too politicized, for any reason, we prefer not to take part. We believe we should have the right to stay outside of these political matters and keep our focus on our passion and esports.”

He acknowledged the strong reactions from the community, noting that “some of the reactions over the past days have been hurtful, even if we understand the concerns behind them,” and highlighted that the team made sure to “seek proper information” before arriving at their decision.

N0tail and Topson supported the statement, confirming that all three former champions of The International with OG would no longer participate in Games of the Future 2025 under the Monkey Business name.

Streamer and former pro Gorgc, another member of the lineup, later shared that he and pieliedie would also not be attending. He expressed his disappointment on his channels, mentioning that “maybe” they “will do something else in the future instead.”

The backlash was largely fueled by a widely circulated Reddit post from former pro Ghostik, who claimed that Games of the Future was “entirely funded and utilized by the Russian government for its propaganda efforts.” He pointed to Putin’s appearance at the 2024 event and suggested that the upcoming Abu Dhabi edition serves the same objectives, just in a different location.

Ghostik directly called out Ceb, N0tail, AdmiralBulldog, and other notable figures, questioning, “Is it really worth taking that bloody money and becoming part of Russian propaganda by attending this event?” The post quickly gained traction on the Dota 2 subreddit, sparking widespread concern over participation in a government-linked tournament.

Games of the Future promotes itself as a hybrid event merging physical sports with esports and has invited several renowned Dota 2 teams for its 2025 edition. However, community discussions continue to highlight the tournament’s connections to Russian state structures.

In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing geopolitical tensions, many believe that participating could be interpreted as endorsing state-driven narratives. As one commenter put it, this situation resembles a “sportswashing ‘showmatch’ co-organized and co-funded by UAE and Putin.”

Several teams, including Nigma Galaxy and nouns, quietly withdrew from the 2024 event without public explanations. The renewed controversy surrounding the 2025 edition has reignited discussions about how players and organizations should approach politically charged esports events.