Talon Esports have announced via their official social media channels that Johan "pieliedie" Åström from Sweden, the team’s coach, and Eljohn "Akashi" Canonicano Andaluz from the Philippines, the carry player, are leaving the roster. The organisation expressed its gratitude for their contributions and revealed plans to rebuild the team in 2025.
Achievements and Contributions
pieliedie joined Talon Esports as a coach in January 2024. Under his leadership, the team achieved several notable successes:
- Victory at RES Regional Series: SEA 1;
- Qualification for major tournaments, including Elite League Season 1, ESL One Birmingham 2024, BetBoom Dacha Dota 2 2024, DreamLeague Season 24, and The International 2024.
At TI13, the team finished in the 13th–16th places, while at ESL One Birmingham and DreamLeague Season 24, they secured 9th–10th places.
Akashi joined Talon Esports in November 2023. Despite his short tenure, he made a notable impact on the team’s performance.
The duo’s final appearance with the team was at the ESL One Bangkok 2024: Southeast Asia Closed Qualifiers, held from 15 to 17 November. Talon Esports finished in 4th place, narrowly missing out on a spot in the main tournament.
Official Statement
"Today, we bid farewell to our coach and carry as we prepare to rebuild the roster for 2025. Thank you for everything—from Birmingham to Belgrade. Best of luck in your future endeavours," the organisation said in its statement.
Current Talon Esports Roster
Following the departure of pieliedie and Akashi, the roster is as follows:
- TBD;
- Rafli "Mikoto" Fathur Rahman (Indonesia);
- Chang "Ws" Wei Shen (Malaysia);
- Tri "Jhocam" Kuncoro (Indonesia);
- Carlo "Kuku" Palad (Philippines).
The organisation has yet to announce replacements, but further roster changes are expected as part of the planned rebuild.