HULIGANI Test Seven Players Before October Return

Published October 3, 2026

HULIGANI sporting director Alexander “StrangeR” Solomonov says the Dota 2 roster will change and has already tested seven new players across several roles. The club plans to show its updated lineup on October 5 in a tournament that had not yet been announced when he spoke. No trialist has been named, so the confirmed news is an active rebuild and a target date—not a completed list of signings.

The review follows an uneven end to the previous season. HULIGANI, previously competing under the L1ga identity, reached The International 2026 through the European closed qualifier but finished in 16th place. The team later played qualifiers for BLAST SLAM VIII and IX and reached the top six at EPL Masters II. Those results provide the competitive reason for testing alternatives without proving which role caused the inconsistency.

StrangeR described the next objective in broad terms: play more consistently and improve on the previous season’s achievements. That is deliberately less dramatic than promising an immediate title. Consistency depends on how the final five draft, communicate and recover during a series, and none of those elements can be measured from the number of trialists alone.

Seven trials do not mean seven incoming transfers

The club has considered seven players outside the active roster, but StrangeR declined to identify them while tests continue. A trial can end without a contract, and several candidates may have been examined for the same position. Reporting all seven as future members would therefore overstate the announcement. The only firm personnel conclusion is that the existing lineup will not remain completely unchanged.

Recent reports list ssnovv1, Mirage, alberkaaa, sayuw and RESPECT as the latest used five. One account omitted alberkaaa from a shorter roster list, which makes the club’s final reveal especially important. The October 5 appearance should clarify both the selected players and the exact roles rather than requiring assumptions from incomplete listings.

Testing several roles can be useful after a season in which results varied sharply between qualification and the main event. It lets management compare combinations rather than replace one player in isolation. The trade-off is preparation time: every additional combination reduces the number of practice games available to the five that eventually start.

The unannounced tournament also limits advance evaluation. Opponents, format and stakes were not provided in the reviewed material. October 5 is a confirmed first look at the roster, but it is not enough to infer the strength of the field or the consequences of one result.

The reveal must answer roles as well as names

A successful announcement will show more than who survived the trials. HULIGANI need a stable lane structure and clear leadership if the stated goal is consistency. A recognisable name can attract attention, but fit will decide whether the team avoids the swings that defined its previous season.

For now, StrangeR has set an honest boundary. Changes are coming, tests have been substantial and the first match is close, yet negotiations and evaluations remain private. That protects the candidates and gives the club room to finish the process before presenting speculation as a roster.

• HULIGANI are preparing changes to the Dota 2 lineup.
• Seven outside players have taken part in tests across multiple roles.
• The candidates’ nicknames have not been disclosed.
• The updated roster is expected to play on October 5.

Confirmed	Not confirmed	Why it matters
Seven players tested	Seven players signed	Trials are evaluations, not contracts
Roster changes planned	Exact departing members	Final roles remain open
October 5 return	Tournament details	Strength of opposition is unknown

HULIGANI are not hiding that the previous formula needs adjustment, but they are also not announcing players before the process is finished. The October 5 lineup will be the first concrete result of seven trials; its structure and performance will matter more than the size of the candidate list.