Zhou “Yang” Haiyang Returns to Vici Gaming for the Spring Tour
After a season with Elephant and sitting out the 2022 Winter Tour, Zhou “Yang” Haiyang is back with Vici Gaming. Yang is a long-time player in the professional Dota 2 scene and has spent most of his career with VG.
The Elephant Era and Disappointing Results
Yang’s stint with Elephant was not successful, as the team failed to qualify for the DPC Majors in 2021 and underperformed at TI10, finishing tied for 13th place. Due to these results, Elephant decided to disband their Dota division and release all the players, except for Yang.
A Limited Role in the Spring Tour
Yang rejoined Vici Gaming after the Winter Tour, but his return happened outside the transfer window. This means that he will have limited participation in the upcoming regional league matches. However, this restriction may be beneficial as Yang is still recovering from surgery, and VG wants to prioritize his health and abide by Valve’s rulings.
Yang as a Full-Time Substitute
VG stated that Yang will primarily serve as the team’s substitute player, taking the place of Li “Irving” Jian on the main roster. Irving played with the team in their first game of the Spring Tour, despite officially leaving the team at the end of the Winter Tour. It is anticipated that Irving will continue with the team for the Spring Tour, while Yang will gradually play more games to regain his form as the team aims to qualify for the Stockholm Major in May.