Gaimin Gladiators sue Dota 2 stars in CA$7.5 million contract dispute

Esports powerhouse Gaimin Gladiators has launched a CA$7.5 million (US$5.37 million) lawsuit against four of its Dota 2 players, accusing them of breaching contractual obligations following a high-profile fallout ahead of The International 2025.

The defendants — Quinn “Quinn” Callahan, Erik “tOfu” Engel, Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard, and Alimzhan “Watson” Islambekov —are alleged to have violated multiple clauses in their player agreements, including social media and promotional duties, according to court filings.

The lawsuit follows Gaimin Gladiators’ shock decision to withdraw from Dota 2’s biggest annual tournament The International just two weeks before kickoff. Despite securing a direct invite to The International 2025, the organisation abruptly pulled out on August 23, citing “internal matters.”

Dota 2 creators Valve released a statement at the time, saying Gaimin Gladiators had indicated they were unable to reach an agreement with their players, who wanted to play independently.

“On Sunday, the Gaimin Gladiators organization informed us that they were withdrawing their team from The International,” The statement read. “

After talking with the invited players directly, we learned they were unable to come to an agreement with their organization that would allow them to participate. We are now in the process of finding a suitable replacement team.”

Team midlaner Quinn later contradicted that statement, claiming the players were ready and willing to compete but were sidelined by management. The public rift sparked widespread backlash from fans and the Dota 2 community, with Gaimin’s vacant slot at the event ultimately filled by Chinese team Yakutou Brothers.

The law suit is partly centred around players failing to comply with contractual obligations, including social media activity which was built into their deals. The Gladiators hierarchy are also believed to be filthy about a comment from Quinn earlier this year, when he labelled a Russian bookmaker — Winline — that sponsors the franchise “scum”. This ultimately lead to the cancellation of their sponsorship from the bookmaker.

The legal clash marks one of the most significant disputes in professional esports history, highlighting growing tensions between players and organisations as the industry’s financial stakes continue to rise.