The Russian esports team, 9 Pandas, has announced that they are moving their entire roster to the bench amid speculation surrounding a potential closure of the organization. The CEO, Julia Sotnikova, stated, “The bottom line is that we continue to work. Yes, it’s a transition. Yes, it’s not easy, but we know for a fact that there is something new ahead.”

This decision comes after Evgeny “r3salt” Frolov and the team were unable to qualify for Europe’s MRQ with a disappointing record of 2-3. Meanwhile, there were rumors of a critical sponsorship loss that could affect the team’s future.

Julia Sotnikova emphasized the necessity for players to explore their options as motivation declines without positive results, saying: “Some of the players asked for the opportunity to restart and consider other offers.”

Notably, the team includes prominent players like Alexey “OverDrive” Birukov and veterans such as Vladislav “Krad” Kravchenko and Aleksandr “shalfey” Marenov. The full roster now sits on the bench as the organization looks to make strategic decisions moving forward.