Who'da thunk it? Twenty years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union we're seeing two major players unite once more. We aren't talking about Ukraine and Russia coming together after two decades but we are seeing the e-sports equivalent.

Natus Vincere have been considered one of the biggest organisations in Europe after a few hugely successful years. Housing arguably the best CS 1.6 team on the planet - and the team who earned more money than any other last year in prize winnings - has no doubt raised their profile but that isn't the only area they are dominant in. Just last month the organisations DotA squad picked up a cool $1,000,000 after storming to victory at The Invitational - the first ever DotA 2 tournament, hosted by Valve.

For years now the players within the organisation have been rivals with those under the other big name side in the region: Moscow Five. Players in both organisations have set-up alongside and against one another, offering advice, training sessions and help whenever the other side needs it. Just a few days ago the organisations decided to strike up a partnership which will see those things become official.

Dmitry "ddd1ms" Smeliy, owner of Moscow Five said:

Dear fans of Moscow Five and Natus Vincere. On this autumn day we are proud to announce a very significant event for CIS cybersport. Our teams have signed partnership agreement. From this day on we stand together!

What does it mean for all of you? Two akin nations have united for our team fans to have even more people to cheer for and to be proud of. Of course, there will be moments when our teams meet on the battlefield, but they will meet as rivals and not as enemies. And let the strongest be the champion!

And what does it mean for us?

Mutual aid, mutual assistance and partnership in addressing conflicts on the side, the opportunity to train with each other, to develop two projects towards success! We believe, that in these moments, our brotherly nations are getting closer and we will try to channel our spirit through all the citizens of Ukraine and Russia.

Viktor "adver" Titov, managing director of Moscow Five also added:

This will strengthen our cooperation between the two organisation and will serve as a new impulse to our relationship. We are very pleased to be able to develop ourselves, given past experience. Using e-sports, we can provide connections for our two countries and make a way for the free exchange of new ideas and experiences.

The move may come as a surprise given the intense rivalry shown in the past between both organisations, however it's a deal that both sides can benefit from. With each organisation set to become major players in the DotA 2 scene the joint training and support could be a massive boost. A small bonus for fans of the 1.6 teams is that they can interact and play with their heroes on the following servers:

m5.teamkill.ru:27015
navi.teamkill.ru:27015
navi.teamkill.ru:27016
navi.teamkill.ru:27017