Although Dota 2 tournaments have commenced, and some of the best Dota 2 teams in the world have been participating in some of them, roster shuffling still hasn’t stopped post-The International 2023.
This has given Dota 2 fans in China the opportunity to experience the surprise event as Azure Ray disclosed the departure of Somnus, Chalice, and fy.
Azure Ray made an entrance into Dota in May, and their debut roster was built around legendary Chinese midlaner Somnus, who made a comeback from a short retirement to competitive play.
Somnus was already on a five-month “retirement” before making a comeback, and he was joined by his former teammates and fellow veterans, chalice and fy. The three players forfeited their salary for the duration of the season.
AR is a reincarnation of YBB Gaming courtesy of a known Chinese business investor, Yang Yiqing, alongside Lou, 天命, and coach LaNm. The team finished seventh place at the Bali Major as they headed into TI12 Regional Qualifiers, beating teams like Xtreme Gaming and Invictus Gaming.
AR became a top team and contender at TI12, moving into the upper bracket before eventually finishing fourth overall, taking home $185,898. With the three core players of that team leaving, a major shakeup is underway.
Most of the teams in China have shuffled their roster after the TI12, but it will be wrong to rule out something big for Somnus and his other two colleagues, especially as Aegis 2024 approaches.
Already, AR are rumored to be expecting the duo of Xm and XinQ, who are reportedly moving over from XG’s lineup. It is also reported that Xm could be playing without a salary. Former Team Aster offlaner Xxs is also linked to the team alongside former Vici Gaming coach Liekkas.
The reshuffle could result in the team being replaced by a different team at ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, which begins on Dec. 11.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
