A Toast to 3 Years: Kyle & Zak Freedman

BY Andrew Miesner / August 28, 2017

Esports is a fast-moving business and Dota 2 is no different. Celebrating a 3-year anniversary between an organization and two players is a rare occasion in today’s climate, so we believe that a toast is in order. Today marks the beginning of Year 4 of Kyle ‘melonzz’ Freedman and Zakari ‘Zfreek’ Freedman, the band of brothers that has not only made an impact on the Dota space, but on our gaming family as well.

What started out as a friendly rivalry from the HoN days, StayGreen and Complexity were adversaries on big stages like HoN Tour and DreamHack. This quickly turned into a wonderful relationship once the duo made the successful switch to Valve’s MOBA hit.

During the transition between games, Complexity exuded almost as much confidence in the two core members as did vocal and outspoken captain melonzz – if it’s even remotely possible to match his confidence. The duo of Complexity and the Freedmans has been through thick and thin in the last three years, including successful journeys to the biggest Dota 2 tournaments including The International 5, the Shanghai Major or Epicenter 2016. Through these highest highs and the accompanying lows, they remained resilient and maintained their belief. Belief in their brotherhood, their ability, the organization and the dynamic that has been established through years of trial and tribulation. It allowed the two to pull through all the hardships, to stay focused even when blessed with success and to look ahead for promising additions during the shuffles. While the overall look of coL.Dota might have changed throughout the years, the core of the roster stayed in the hands of the Freedman brothers. Zfreek still dazzles Twitch chat, opponents and commentators alike on the four or five, while his brother continues to show his versatility as a mid, an offlane and a true five position captain.

A long road is behind us, but an even longer one lies ahead. Thank you Kyle and Zak for three great years. Here’s to many more years to come and the fulfilment of the ultimate dream that was made clear from the very start.