Vici Gaming Faces Roster Issues in StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2
In the past week, Vici Gaming has encountered significant challenges with their roster as they competed for a spot in the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 tournament. The team has considered making changes to their lineup, including swapping positions for players like Zhou “Yang” Haiyang.
The most notable change announced by Vici was the removal of Pan “Fade” Yi from the active roster. Fade expressed his respect for the team’s decision but mentioned that he now feels unable to win.
Unfortunately, this roster change seemed to impact Vici’s performance as they lost 2-0 to Team Aster, another strong Chinese team in the Dota Pro Circuit.
However, Vici decided to go back on their plans for restructuring the team and continued competing with the initial roster for the rest of the event. Fade was reintegrated into the team after a trial run with Sun “Agressif” Zheng from Invictus Gaming.
Team Aster also made changes to their lineup, including the addition of Chai Yee “Mushi” Fung. Mushi joined forces with his former teammate Xu “BurNIng” Zhilei, who created and coaches the team.
After defeating Vici, Aster faced Royal Never Give Up in the winner’s finals but were knocked into the lower bracket. Meanwhile, Vici started dominating their opponents in the lower bracket, defeating Room310 and eventually getting revenge against Aster in a rematch.
Both Royal and Vici secured the final spots in the StarLadder Minor. However, the future of Mushi with Team Aster remains uncertain.
Following their qualification to the Minor, Fade shared his thoughts about his unexpected return to the team. He expressed his initial frustration but chose to go back to avoid letting down his teammates. Fade also mentioned his plans to take a break while Vici competes in MDL Macau 2019. He thanked his supporters and praised Yang for his outstanding performance during their run in the loser’s bracket.
As the Dota Pro Circuit continues, teams like Aster and Vici will work on resolving their roster issues to rival organizations like Virtus Pro and Team Liquid, who have more cohesive lineups.
Both Aster and Vici will participate in the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor from March 7th to 10th. Eight teams will compete for $300,000 in prize money, 500 Pro Circuit Points, and the final spot in the DreamLeague Season 11 Stockholm Major.