Chinese shuffle 2016; Big changes across the region

The Chinese shuffle 2016 has kicked into full swing, revealing a complete overhaul of most of the big name rosters and organizations. LGD Gaming has split into two rosters, ViCi Gaming.Reborn has transitioned into the main squad and big name veterans have shifted teams. Dotablast has outlined the major changes of the Chinese shuffle 2016 below.

The Chinese shuffle 2016 yields some dramatic changes across the board as the big players and teams look to revitalize themselves for the upcoming Fall Major 2016 season. All of the teams had agreed to drop their rosters during the first phase of the new registration period. The shuffle and changes remained a mystery to many until the teams began to reveal their rosters one by one starting earlier today. Wings Gaming, the TI6 championship team was the only exception – making no changes and revealing their intended roster days ago.

ViCi Gaming

ViCi Gaming did not participate in TI6, although the second squad – ViCi Gaming.Reborn took 13-16th place after being eliminated by TnC Gaming in the first round of Lower Brackets.

ViCi Gaming.Reborn has been ‘promoted’ to ViCi Gaming – as the main squad. For the Fall Major 2016 season, the team has made only one change in the roster.

Wang “Nono” Xin has been replaced by Zheng “ghost” Jie from FTD.C

Many fans are not surprised to see NoNo replaced. In the season leading up to TI6, NoNo did not participate in the SL i-League Invitational and TI6 Chinese Regional qualifiers due to visa and family issues, respectively. His absence in the lineup led to speculation that he was not an active member of the team. However, when Zhou “Yang” Haiyang’s TI6 visa was denied, coach Tong “Mikasa” Junjie was forced to stand in with the team in Yang’s stead and consequently required that NoNo participate in the event.

ghost began his professional Dota 2 career in December 2015 playing for FTD Club.

ViCi Gaming roster

Yang “Zyf/End” Pu
Zheng “ghost” Jie
Zhou “Yang” Haiyang
Liang “DDC” Faming
Xu “fy” Linsen
Tong “mikasa” Junjie (coach)

ViCi Gaming J

ViCi Gaming has created a new squad called ViCi Gaming J – featuring not only some of the most celebrated players – but introduces honorary captain role for Jeremy Lin – professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets. Jeremy is an avid Dota 2 fan, making appearances at The Internationals and participating in youtube content promoting the game.

Fenrir had made his professional Dota 2 career in 2012 with ViCi Gaming, where he has stayed until March 2016 when he joined EHOME. Regarded as an amazing support player, when paired with his teammate “Fy”, was considered one of the strongest support duos. Most often appearing quiet and reserved, he is a consistently stable character both within the team setting and has a player.

rOtk is one of the riskiest players, sometimes benefiting his team incredibly. He has a vast amount of experience and fame, having started his career with Team DK in August 2011, staying with the team until 2013. Following TI3, he joined ViCi Gaming where took the captain role and the team went on to win RaidCall EMS One Fall Season Finals, their first premier championship. He continued to lead his team to numerous top three finishes including second place at The International 4.
Following the success of the year and TI4 ROtk announced his retirement, together with Xu “BurNIng” Zhilei. The two Chinese stars would move on to casting and promoting Dota 2 in China together, however, in December 2014, he was part of Big God, a team that was formed and made up of players retired from Team DK, Newbee, and Vici Gaming, to participate in the i-League. In March 15, 2015, during the Great Chinese Reshuffle, Bai along with teammate LaNm of Big God, would join EHOME before moving on to LGD Gaming and then ViCi Gaming. rOtk has played in TI2 (fourth place), TI3 (sixth place), TI4 (second place) and TI5 (fifth-sixth place).

Agressif started his Dota 2 career in April 2014, playing for the LGD youth squad, alongside teammates Q and Garder. He transitioned with the squad when they left the organization to become CDEC, in October 2014. During The International 5 he has had consistent, impressive performances on his Ember Spirit, Gyrocopter and Phantom Lancer. With incredibly fast farming ability and aggressive and well coordinated pick offs, he often topped the net-worth and kill charts in the games. CDEC took an astonishing second place at TI5 and earned Agressif and company much prestige and fans. Following TI5 the team continued together, earning 3-6th place in various premier and major tournaments such as ESL One New York 2015, MLG World Finals, Nanyang Dota 2 Championships, The Frankfurt Major 2015, World Cyber Arena 2015 until a 13-16th place at The Shanghai Major 2016. He was then picked up in March, following Shanghai Major by LGD Gaming where he went on to take third at StarLadder i-League Invitational #1, fourth at Manila Major, third at Nanyang Dota 2 Championships Season 2 and first at Dota2 Professional League Season 1.

NoNo was first noticed while topping the leaderboards in the CDEC Masters league but his first professional team was with CDEC Avengers in December 2015. Starting off strong, the team with NoNo on the roster had seized the Shanghai Major 2016 Chinese Open Qualifier and were at the top of their gorup in the main qualifiers. The team was unable to maintain a grasp on their top placement during the playoff brackets and were eliminated from the event. Nono gained recognition during his time with his first team and in March 2016 during the Manila Major/TI6 roster lock period, he was picked up by the new ViCi Gaming Reborn. The Chinese player had some unfortunate luck head his way shortly after, not being able to compete with the team in both the SL i-League Invitational and TI6 Chinese Regional qualifiers due to visa and family issues, respectively. After wiping the dust off his keyboard, Nono doned the jersey for ViCi Gaming.Reborn again in his debut at the Internationals.

hym began playing professional Dota 2 in 2015 for a little known team called Victory O Lord. Two months later when the team disbanded he went to Hyper Glory Team and then was picked up by ViCi Gaming for the Manila Major/TI6 season.

ViCi Gaming J roster

Sun “Agressif” Zheng
Wang “Nono” Xin
Bai “rOtk” Fan
Xu “hym” Zh
Lu “Fenrir” Chao

Newbee

Newbee took 9-12th place at TI6 after being eliminated by Team Liquid 2:1 in the second round of the lower brackets.

Big changes for Newbee are underway as the team replaces three of its members – Zhang “Mu” Pan, Chen “Hao” Zhihao and Wong “ChuaN” Hock Chuan.

Mu retired only days ago.The news of the mid player’s retirement comes less than a month after Newbee’s captain and carry Hao announced his break from competitive gaming for the upcoming Fall Major 2016 season or longer.

In the reshuffle it seems that ChuaN has also parted ways with the team.

Veteran player Zeng “Faith” Hongda, Song “Sccc” Chun and Xu “uuu9” Han will be the official replacements for the Fall Major 2016 season.

Faith participated in the first five Internationals with various teams – taking the championship title at TI2 as part of the Invictus Gaming lineup. Playing professional Dota 2 since 2011, he is both highly decorated and experienced, bringing forth a great wealth of skill and talent. He started his career in 2011 on a team known as TyLoo – one of the teams invited to the first International based off of their reputation for being one of the best Chinese teams in DotA 1 in 2011.

uuu9 was teammates with Faith in TongFu, an organization that he has played with since starting his professional career in 2013.

Sccc will be transferring from the organization’s youth squad – a team which he joined and has been with since competing in April 2015.

Newbee roster

Zeng “Faith” Hongda
Song “Sccc” Chun
Damien “kphoenii” Chok
Hu “Kaka” Liangzhi
Xu “uuu9” Han

EHOME

EHOME seized 5-6th place at TI6 after being wiped out 2:0 by Digital Chaos in the fourth round of the lower brackets.

The Chinese giants have made two changes to their lineup for the Fall Major 2016 season. Liu “Sylar” Jiajun and Liu “Garder” Xinzhou have replaced Daryl “iceiceice” Koh Pei Xiang and Lu “Fenrir” Chao.

Earlier in the month Sylar has joined the EHOME roster alongside returning members Wang “old chicken” Zhiyong and Ren “old eLeVeN” Yangwei.

Sylar assumed the carry role left vacant as Daryl “iceiceice” Koh Pei Xiang left to SEA to create his new team – Team Faceless with Dominik “Black^” Reitmeier, Wong “NutZ” Jeng Yih, Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong and Toh “Xy-” Wai Hong. Liu began his career in early 2011, when he joined the team World Elite. However, upon ZSMJ‘s departure from LGD and retirement from DotA in late 2011, Sylar left World Elite to join LGD for the first time. After the disappointing performance at TI3, he would leave LGD and join Rising Stars for only one month before moving to ViCi Gaming. He was a part of their TI4 second place roster. Despite their victorious placement at the event, Sylar would leave ViCi Gaming and return to LGD in August of 2014, where he was able to claim third place at TI5. In April 2016, Sylar joined ViCi Gaming. The team had underwhelming performances and did not end up participating in TI6.

Liu “Garder” Xinzhou is a relatively new face to the Dota 2 scene. He was discovered by LGD Gaming and became a part of their youth squad in April 2014, along with Q and Agressif. Garter remained on the squad after they left the LGD organization to become CDEC. Garder’s impeccable rotations and set-ups are exemplary of a support player’s worth and talent. Often sacrificing himself and being available for the core heroes, he has taken his role to the next level at TI5 and provided the space needed often for the team to move ahead – eventually landing second place at the event after coming up through the open qualifiers.

EHOME roster

Liu “Sylar” Jiajun
Wang “old chicken” Zhiyong
Ren “eLeVeN” Yangwei
Zhang “LaNm” Zhicheng
Liu “Garder” Xinzhou

Invictus Gaming

Invictus Gaming had a very difficult time in the last year. After a disappointing 12th place finish at TI5, the team was once again subject to nonstop roster changes and instability – resulting in little to no achievements. It marked the first time that the organization and Luo “Ferrari_430” Feich did not participate in the Internationals since TI1.

The iconic and TI2 championship organization has made some drastic changes to their roster for the upcoming Fall Major 2016 season, adding famed veteran Xu “BurNIng” Zhilei and Fu “Q” Bin to the squad, moving Ou “Op” Peng up from IG.Vitality.

At the end of August, Luo “Ferrari_430” Feichi left Invictus Gaming after more than 5 years with the organization.At this time it is unknown as to the future status of the highly acclaimed ‘pianist’.

Chen “Rong” Jingwu and Zhao “qd” Shungeng have also been replaced on the squad, leaving Lin “Xxs” Jing and Ye “BoBoKa” Zhibiao left on the lineup.

Introduced to DotA by his friends, at the end of 2007, it wouldn’t be until his last DotA 1 team, DK, transitioned to Dota 2 that Burning would make his first splash into the scene. The Chinese star stayed with DK until after TI4, when he left the team after a fourth place finish, and decided to retire from competitive play temporarily. Burning is regarded as one of the best and most experienced carry players in the world, probably the most famous Chinese Dota 2 player of all time, considered by many a legend. With such steep and enormous revere from others and a nickname of B-God. He is the exemplification of consistency and superior performances. He has an exceptional ability to farm while still remaining active in the game, by supporting his team quickly in fights and taking objectives when necessary.

Q kicked off his professional Dota 2 career playing for the LGD youth squad in 2014. He transitioned with his teammates when the squad decided to go solo, under the CDEC tag. As CDEC’s captain, Q has outdrafted even the best teams in the world at TI5. His selections and leadership for execution is flawless. There is little doubt that his team respects and follows his calls and foresight.

Op has moved up from IG.Vitality to the main squad. He started his career in Dota 2 in March 2016 with the organization.

Invictus Gaming roster

Xu “BurNIng” Zhilei
Ou “Op” Peng
Lin “Xxs” Jing
Fu “Q” Bin
Ye “BoBoKa” Zhibiao

LGD Gaming

LGD Gaming finished 9-12th place at TI6 after they were knocked out of contention in the second round of lower brackets by Digital Chaos 2:0.

The epochal Chinese team has chosen to rebuild their entire squad around star player Lu “Maybe” Yao.

The highly skilled and talented veteran has been surrounded by CDEC.Youth players Wang “Ame” Chunyu, Chen “Xz” Zezhi and Chen “Victoria” Guanhong as well as ViCi Gaming.Potential player Zijia “Jixing” Shang.

At the end of August, Sun “Agressif” Zheng reported he had parted ways with the organization. Xue “September” Zhichuan has moved to CDEC and Zhang “xiao8” Ning is part of the new LGD Forever Young squad. Lei “MMY!” Zengrong has gone ‘inactive’ since TI6.

LGD Gaming roster

Wang “Ame” Chunyu
Chen “Xz” Zezhi
Chen “Victoria” Guanhong
Lu “Maybe” Yao
Zijia “Jixing” Shang

LGD Forever Young

LGD Gaming has split the roster into two – one being built up around Lu “Maybe” Yao with the second being spearheaded by famed talent Zhang “xiao8” Ning – featuring Yao “Yao” Zhengzheng and Xie “Super” Junhao. The roster is completed by lesser known players, Luo “lpc” Puchao and Du “Monet” Peng.

Xie started his career in Dota 2 with DK gaming in 2011, where he would take fourth place at TI2 and sixth in TI3. He remained with the team until he left for ViCi Gaming in September 2013, being a part of the TI4 second place squad and fourth at TI5. As a mid player, he has demonstrated a significant amount of versatility, adapting his hero pool to the meta while still being able to dominate.

Yao is known for his versatility. He began his professional career playing DotA 1 in 2010, alongside DD and Xiao8. In early 2011, he took a break from competitive gaming to focus on his studies, but later returned for a short period with Nirvana.cn. In August 2011, Yao joined LGD Gaming with teammates Xiao8 and DD as the mid lane player – the same role he played during The International 2012. Following TI2, he transitioned into the offlane position. However, Yao will occasionally return to the solo-mid position. Yao attended four Internationals as part of LGD Gaming before moving to CDEC in March 2016.

Lpc began his professional career by joining TongFu.Wanzhou in spring of 2014 where he eventually joined the main squad after a year and assumed the captain position.

Monet most recently was playing for CDEC.Avenger, but started his career in 2015 with FTD club C.

LGD Forever Young roster

Zhang “xiao8” Ning
Yao “Yao” Zhengzheng
Xie “Super” Junhao
Luo “lpc” Puchao
Du “Monet” Peng