Mid star Maybe takes leave from PSG.LGD

PSG.LGD find themselves in a tough spot after a star player’s departure.

Following a somewhat disappointing fourth-place finish in front of the team’s home crowd at the Chongqing Major, PSG.LGD is in turmoil. LGD star mid laner Lu “Maybe” Yao announced that he will be taking a step back from the competitive Dota 2 scene due to personal and physical reasons.

The grueling training schedules and immense pressure that come with life as a pro Dota 2 player may have taken their toll on Maybe.

Maybe has been a cornerstone to LGD’s success in the last four years. Since his emergence in 2015 and LGD’s third-place finish at The International 2015 he has been regarded as one of the finest mid laners in Dota 2.

With the Chinese scene still recovering from the post-TI shuffle, no team has emerged as the top dog of the region. The loss of one of the team’s biggest stars might throw a wrench into the already inconsistent state of the region’s teams.

His replacement in the starting line-up will be Guo “Xm” Hongcheng, on loan from CDEC Gaming. Xm is a relative newcomer to the professional Dota 2 scene, having played for CDEC since September 2018.

Since joining CDEC, Xm’s success has been marginal. His team’s best result was a second-place finish at the China Dota2 Winter Cup. Despite his inexperience, the young mid laner’s aggressive style of play could gel with LGD’s current roster.

The loss of such a skilled player as Maybe may weaken LGD’s prospects in the near future. Gambling on an unproven mid laner could pay off, but there are no guarantees for PSG.LGD.