Jeremy Lin returns to Dota with J.Storm

Despite the death of the Vici Gaming J brand, Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin isn’t done with Dota 2 quite yet.

Lin’s new esports brand J.Storm was revealed on the official VGJ website. Included in the reveal was a statement on the move, as well as the presenting of the team’s inaugural roster.

Lin first entered the Dota 2 world in 2016 when he teamed up with Vici Gaming to launch Team VGJ. In 2017 Team VGJ became its own brand separate from Vici Gaming. The organization backed two teams, with the original Chinese squad being renamed VGJ.Thunder and its new North American squad being branded VGJ.Storm.

Though both VGJ teams enjoyed success during the season, Valve introduced a new set of requirements for TI9 qualification which discouraged organizations from hosting multiple Dota 2 teams. As a result, VGJ.Thunder was dissolved entirely following TI8, with its players either being released or transferred to the primary Vici Gaming team. Players from VGJ.Storm remained together but signed with Forward Gaming.

J.Storm sees Lin complying with these new rules by splitting off from his partnership with Vici Gaming and forming his own independent Dota 2 brand.

Though the former VGJ team departed, Lin found a strong new group to work with in North American stack Marchoutofarmy, led by former MVP Phoenix captain Park “March” Tae-Won. The team has already qualified for November’s Kuala Lumpur Major and will have ample opportunities to stay active in a hectic October.

While professional Dota 2 is anything but predictable, there is plenty of cause to be bullish about this latest partnership.