Former LGD.Forever Young players form new team

Though LGD Gaming’s primary Dota 2 team, PSG.LGD, seems poised to remain intact heading into the new season, its secondary team might be gone.

A new organization has formed around former LGD Forever Young players: Team Root. The news was revealed on Weibo and later confirmed by CDEC Gaming on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/CDECgaming/status/1039597617280364545

Team Root brings together a number of experienced members of the Chinese Dota 2 scene, with most having spent time together under the LGD Gaming umbrella.

Coming in from LGD Forever Young are veterans Yao “Yao” Zhengzheng and Leong “ddc” Fat-Meng, who have both enjoyed consistent success in Dota 2 for nearly a decade. Former teammate Chen “Victoria” Guanhong, best known for his strong performance with LGD Gaming in 2017, also joins alongside Vici Gaming staple Yang “END” Pu. Filling in the final spot and injecting a bit of youth into the team is a mid player known only as “ChosenOne.”

The new team comes at an interesting time in Chinese Dota 2.

Ahead of The International 2018, Valve revealed a new set of rules for the Dota Pro Circuit, one of which prevented organizations and players from having financial ties to multiple teams should they wish to qualify for next year’s International tournament.

It’s a ruling that will cause fits in China, where developmental squads like iG Vitality and Newbee Young are common. Team Root’s formation could be the first taste of what may be a season of major roster changes among Chinese players and teams