After a solid year in Heroes of the Storm, Dignitas is ready for more. Today they announced they are re-signing their HotS team and plan on staying for 2017. Fans who sweated over losing a major organization when Team Liquid dropped out of the scene not too long ago can breathe a sigh of relief; along with several other major organizations, Dignitas is here to stay.



One minor change is underway, though. Zaelia waltzes in through the revolving door of tank/flex players while Atheroangel exits. Unable to keep a stable roster in 2016, Dignitas can’t seem to find the right fit for their fifth and final member despite winning multiple tournaments and becoming the most consistent team in Europe.



Atheroangel made a public statement about his time with Dignitas via Twitter not long after the announcement. In said announcement, he explained that he battled with waning interest in the game following his time on Team Liquid. He spent much of his free time in August coaching Dignitas and barely touching the game at all, but the sudden retirement of AlexTheProG left him no option but to become a player once again. Even though Dignitas had decent results at BlizzCon and GCWC, Athero’s plays were fairly poor and his capriciousness got the better of him.



Athero left on good terms, though. His parting words included a plea for mercy on Zaelia’s part. “I must urge the community,” he stated, “even if [Zaelia] underperforms at the start, PLEASE do not go as hard on him. It is not fair for the player’s mindset and confidence when playing the game. If you support a team, support them through thick and thin.” Athero will be attempting to qualify for HGC through the Open Division over the next six months.



Zaelia is primarily known as a ranged assassin player, but he will be stepping into the melee flex role on Dignitas. It’s quite possible there may be some growing pains at the start of 2017, but one can only hope that Zaelia will be the missing piece of the puzzle for Dignitas.