Dota 2 veterans No Tidehunter and StarCraft 2 independent Johan ‘NaNiwa’ Lucchesi have been spliced together to form a new eSports team: the Alliance. The new organisation has been pulled together beneath the banner of gaming hardware specialists Razer, will focus its efforts on both Dota and SC2, and is actively looking to expand its StarCraft roster in the coming months.
“Being involved in the creation of a brand new professional gaming team of this caliber is a very special opportunity and we’re honored to have been a part of the creation process,” said Razer chief Min-Liang Tan in a statement.
“By supporting and helping to drive the unique opportunities Alliance provides for professional players, we hope to continue to deliver the absolute best of eSports to both a Scandinavian and worldwide audience.”
The No Tidehunter gang are “extremely happy” to be part of Alliance’s unconventional birth.
“We are proud to be a part of something new,” said Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg. “We strive for perfection, and with the support from our sponsor, Razer, this will be a great organization.”
Johan ‘NaNiwa’ Lucchesi added: “A few months ago I was searching for a team that could help me become the best player I could possibly be. It stood between a few teams and I’m 100% sure, since I’ve been with this team for a while, that I have made the right choice. Not only are they trying their best to fulfill my wishes, but are very professional while doing so. I am very happy to be a part of this team.”
If you’ve noticed any of the parties involved sporting Razer mice, keyboards, mousepads and underwear in their matches of late: this is why.
The newly-renamed Alliance Dota 2 team are currently prepping for the RaidCall EMS ONE Finals next weekend, fresh from their victory over Fnatic in the StarLadder Season 5 grand finals. NaNi will next make an appearance at the DreamHack Open in Stockholm on April 26th and 27th. You can find them both on Twitter and Facebook.
How do you think both sides might benefit from their branded osmosis?