Insider Gaming can reveal that Melchior ‘Seleri’ Hillenkamp will step away from competitive Dota 2 play following the elimination of MOUZ from ESL One Birmingham 2026.
The Dutchman revealed to Insider Gaming in an interview that he would not be continuing with MOUZ moving forward, stating, “I’m probably not going to be playing anymore after this tournament,” before later clarifying, “I’m definitely taking it chill for a while.”
Responding to a question regarding future tournaments, Seleri responded as follows:
“It’s going to be a weird answer. I didn’t talk too much about it too much yet in public, but I’m probably not going to be playing anymore after this tournament.”
“But I talked to a lot of the guys, and I hope it will be positive for them that there is some change that will help them to figure things out quicker.”
Asked if he would move to another team, the Dota 2 veteran stated, “No, it’s just too much time commitment to me, it’s too much stress. Not during a tournament, playing on stage is very fun for me.
“But it’s hard to have a life next to Dota as a player. I really enjoy playing still, but it’s better if you don’t have too much of a life outside of Dota.”
Asked if he was retiring, Seleri clarified, “You never know, right? Maybe there’s some national tournament, maybe I become stand-in master. Who knows? But I’m definitely taking it chill for a while.”
Full interview to follow.
Seleri steps away after glittering career
Seleri is set to step away from Dota 2 following a startling career which has seen the Support win several of Dota’s most prestigious titles.
Seleri’s time at Gaimin Gladiators remains the most successful stint of his career, completing the ‘Major Grand Slam’ by winning all three Dota 2 Majors in 2023, at Lima, Berlin, and Bali.
After getting dropped by Gaimin Gladiators in February 2025, Seleri took a brief hiatus before returning in MOUZ colours.
MOUZ has suffered from declining form following the roster’s PGL Wallachia Season 6 victory, an event Seleri missed due to health reasons.
You can discuss the news on our Discord server.
For more ESL One Birmingham interviews, see our interview with Tundra’s 33.
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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