Shopify Rebellion looks at a potential team disband after Ti12

Shopify Rebellion exited the International 2023 (TI12) in sixteenth place, making them the worst-performing North American team in attendance. Considering how long this roster has remained together, it just might be the wake-up call they need to finally part ways.

The team’s performance at TI12 was underwhelming and TeamSoloMid eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs. This represents the second time Artour “Arteezy” Babaev has finished sixteenth at The International. Moreover, throughout the tournament, the team only managed to tie two series, while the others were losses.

There’s now growing speculation about a potential roster shuffle or even a full disband of the roster.

Ceb comments on Shopify’s worst performance to date

Sebastian “Ceb” Debs, co-owner of OG, has expressed concerns about Shopify Rebellion’s future following their recent performance at TI12. Speaking on Gorgc’s livestream, Ceb noted that the central members of the North American team have been together for a significant amount of time without achieving notable success. Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, a fellow TI winner and retiree, also agreed with Ceb’s observations.

When referring to the “core four”, Ceb was alluding to three of Shopify Rebellion’s primary players and their coach, Kanishka “Bulba” Sosale:

Artour “Arteezy” Babaev (hard carry player)
Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen (semi-support player)
Tal “Fly” Aizik (hard support player and captain)

This group has played together on-and-off since 2018. While the mid and offlane roles have undergone changes over each season, the core four remained together.

Where did Shopify go wrong?

A recap on Shopify’s last moments in TI12 Playoffs showcased an embarrassing 0-2 loss to TSM.

If we were to highlight one decision that led to their early exit, it’s definitely the Dark Willow hard carry pick in Game 2 vs TSM. Stepping out of your comfort picks during high-stake matches isn’t uncommon, but it did not work out in Shopify’s case. Arteezy’s Dark Willow pick was so flawed that it almost seemed like the team picked it for the sake of cheese pick.

And, while LGD Gaming and even Talon Esports made hard carry Dark Willow look overpowered, perhaps Arteezy isn’t adaptive enough as a player to play such an unorthodox hero.

Figuring Shopify Rebellion out

It’s an old line-up. As touching as sticking together throughout all those years sounds, Shopify is no longer a team with any element of surprise. We have seen enough Arteezy armlet-toggles, Cr1t- and Fly support playstyles and, worst of all, the same stale drafting decisions by Bulba.

One of the most noticeable Shopify trends was picking Kunkka, and when that’s out of the book. Shopify seemingly lost any sense and form they could proudly show off on the playing field.

What’s next for Shopify Rebellion?

There are already speculations that a complete disband is highly possible. N0tail speculated that Cr1t and Arteezy might stay together to join a new Alliance. Fly himself is no stranger to exploring new regional options throughout his pro career. As for Bulba, perhaps a team is eyeing for his coaching expertise.

Or, worse yet, a retirement announcement by any of these players wouldn’t come out of the blue, considering their age. The worst case scenario is going down Nigma Galaxy’s route and keeping the founding players around just to remain mediocre at best.

Read next: The International 2023 Playoffs Predictions