Kuku

Carlo Palad (born September 21, 1996), better known as Kuku, is a Filipino professional Dota 2 player. He currently serves as the captain and offlaner for Talon Esports. Palad previously played for TNC Predator, where he was part of the roster that eliminated OG from The International 2016. He has participated in several editions of The International throughout his career.

Career

2015–2019: TNC Predator Palad began his professional career in the original Defense of the Ancients (Dota 1) before transitioning to Dota 2. He joined the Philippine-based organization TNC Pro Team (later TNC Predator). During The International 2016, Palad played the mid-lane position. He and his teammate Nico "eyyou" Barcelon officially left the organization in September 2019. However, the team disbanded its roster in September 2020 due to the cancellation of the Dota Pro Circuit caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He was unable to attend the ONE Esports Singapore Major after testing positive for COVID-19. They were eliminated in the qualifiers after losing to Vici Gaming.

During May 2025, Palad captained the squad at DreamLeague Season 26. He led the roster through the group stages with victories against Yakult Brothers, NAVI Junior, and Team Liquid. Despite a loss to Parivision in the second group stage, Palad finished in the top three, earning US$80,000. This performance qualified him for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh.

Later that year, Palad failed to qualify for The International 2025 following losses to Team Nemesis and Boom Esports. He typed a derogatory phrase Ching chong often used to mock the Chinese language while playing against Chinese players. The incident occurred shortly after a similar incident involving another Filipino player, Rolen Andrei Gabriel "Skemberlu" Ong.

The incident led to a backlash from the Chinese Dota 2 community, and LGD Gaming refused to practice with TNC Predator.

On December 3, 2018, game developer Valve Corporation officially banned Palad from the tournament.

The ban received mixed reactions within the esports community. Some casters, including Grant "GranDGranT" Harris and David "GoDZ" Parker, threatened to boycott the major in support of Palad, arguing that a career-affecting ban was too severe for a mistake.