Understanding the Departure of ATF from Quest Esports: An Explanation
Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf, the former offlaner for Quest Esports, recently explained on Twitter why he left the team unexpectedly. After the Bali Major 2023, Nigma Galaxy’s loan to Quest ended, and instead of extending the loan, Quest offered ATF a new contract. However, ATF had concerns about certain terms in the contract that he couldn’t agree to. Consequently, Quest decided to part ways with ATF instead of extending the loan or having him play as a temporary offlaner at the Riyadh Masters 2023. The organization stated that they were unable to resolve the negotiation difficulties leading to ATF’s departure.
ATF Expresses Disappointment Over Unexpected Departure from Quest Esports, Missing Riyadh Masters 2023
After Quest decided not to extend the loan contract with Nigma for their own reasons, ATF was given a choice by Quest. He could either accept the new contract they offered or be replaced by a stand-in player at the Riyadh Masters tournament.
unfortunately am not going to ryiadh masters , my loan ended after the major and Quest org dont want to extend the loan for there own reasons , they offered me a contract that i dont agree on and they told me to choose between signing the contract or they will get a standin and#1
— Ammar Alassaf (@AmmarAlassaf6) July 15, 2023
ATF said that he decided not to accept the contract terms with full respect. But he felt sad because he couldn’t take part in the Riyadh Masters 2023, even though he was on the team when they qualified through the MENA qualifiers.
The Riyadh Masters this year is a very exciting tournament because it has a huge prize pool of $15,000,000 USD, which is the highest ever offered by a third party organizer.
#3 to be honest nigma did help with everything loan/buyout but quest contract is not acceptable for me
— Ammar Alassaf (@AmmarAlassaf6) July 15, 2023
After ATF clarified that Nigma provided assistance in every way they could, the organization later tweeted their response. According to Nigma, they made attempts to explore different possibilities for ATF to continue playing with Quest in upcoming tournaments. However, they stated that they do not have the authority to influence Quest in providing attractive offers to players for long-term commitments.
Quest Esports Releases Statement Regarding ATF’s Departure
Quest Esports shared their perspective on the negotiations, emphasizing their adherence to the initial contract that specified ATF’s loan would end after the Bali Major. They expressed disappointment when others wanted to renegotiate terms right before the Riyadh Masters. ATF requested an extension, but his condition of committing only if he participated in TI didn’t align with Quest’s values. Quest highlighted their team’s abilities, emphasized teamwork, and expressed gratitude to ATF and Nigma while wishing them well.
1/8: We'd like to explain recent events involving player Ammar Al Assaf (ATF), Nigma Galaxy, and us. Our mission has always been to build a team based on respect, hard work, and shared goals. #QuestForward
— PSG Quest (@PSGQuest) July 15, 2023
The separation of ATF and Quest has come as a surprise to the Dota 2 community, especially considering the team’s strong performance since ATF joined a few months ago. Quest had impressive results, and they nearly secured a direct invitation to The International 12 by finishing fourth at the Bali Major 2023.
With the departure of ATF, Quest now needs to find a new offlaner. It will be interesting to see if the team can maintain the progress they have made and perform well at the upcoming Riyadh Masters 2023 and the regional qualifiers for TI12.
