The EHOME Dota 2 team will be temporarily shut down until the 2022 Dota Pro Circuit season.
The announcement comes three weeks after a loss in the grand finals of China’s regional qualifier for The International 2021. In addition to a temporary shuttering, the team is also releasing Malaysian hard support Jian Wei “xNova” Yap due to the expiration of his contract. The EHOME Dota 2 team still plans to compete in the upper division of the 2022 Chinese Dota Pro Circuit league.
EHOME earned sixth place in both seasons of the China DPC upper division, narrowly avoiding relegation both times. The team’s inability to qualify for either the Singapore Major or WePlay AniMajor left it with no direct route to TI10. Despite staying competitive in their home region, EHOME hasn’t qualified for The International since 2016.
EHOME released a statement through its official social media regarding the Dota 2 team’s inactive state.
“We intend to take time off to recharge and adjust for the next TI season. A lot has happened in the past season, and the club and players have faced many difficulties together. We hope to use this time to let everyone rest, stay with family and friends, and adjust to better prepare for future battles…Thank you fans and media friends from all walks of life for your continued support and love for EHOME,” EHOME staff wrote, according to digital translation.
The five largest prize pools in esports history all belong to The International series, but that doesn’t mean all Dota 2 organizations are swimming with cash. The International represents more than half of all the Dota 2 prize money that will be given out in 2021. For less stable teams, missing out on TI usually leads to disbanding. EHOME was sponsoring DotA 1 teams before Dota 2’s release, making it one of the oldest organizations in the game. Odds are that its time away from Dota 2 will only be a temporary shutdown.
EHOME endured a number of roster changes during the Chinese shuffle of fall 2020. The squad lost both off-laner Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida and support captain Zhang “y`” Yiping to PSG.LGD before carry Liu “Sylar” Jiajun was signed and then discarded by Elephant. The current EHOME Dota 2 lineup is a mix of upstart talent and experienced veterans from the old PSG.LGD roster.
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