Team Spirit's Dota 2 manager Dmitry Korb3n Belov commented on the reasons for the sale of the Tundra Esports roster. In his opinion, expressed during a Twitch stream, the organization's decision to leave Dota 2 is directly related to the revision of the sponsorship contract with Winline.
Korb3nI think Tundra Esports' contract with the title sponsor was simply revised – and that's it. Contracts are usually signed for several years. As you all know, at the beginning of this year, in January, bookmakers were subjected to additional taxes. Considering when this happened – namely, before the Esports World Cup 2026 and The International – I believe that the Winline contract with Tundra Esports could have been valid until the end of the year. After its expiration, the funding was revised.
According to Belov's calculations, if Tundra spent about 2 million dollars a year on salaries and expenses, and the contract with Winline was around 1 million, then after the revision of payments due to taxes, the sponsor could offer only 500–800 thousand. Such an amount is insufficient to cover salaries, and the owner is not always willing to compensate the difference out of pocket – in this case, selling the roster becomes a way to earn.
On Monday, June 1, 2026, Tundra Esports announced the disbandment of the Dota 2 roster, fully transferring the championship lineup under the tag 1win Team. The organization no longer plans to assemble rosters in any esports discipline.
The sale occurred against the backdrop of a general reduction in club funding, which previously led to the exit of organizations HEROIC and paiN Gaming from Dota 2.
Recall that earlier zverHDD explained Tundra Esports' exit from Dota 2 by the absence of a sustainable business model.