PSG.LGD welcomes Dota 2 legend Yao back as a coach

Olivia Richman Published 29/03/2019

Dota 2 legend Yao “Yao” Zhengzheng is returning to PSG.LGD as a coach.

“The rumors are true. Yao is one of the more accomplished veterans in PSG.LGD’s history and we look forward to his return to challenge many champions,” LGD said on Twitter.

Yao has been a part of the LGD esports organization for seven years, originally joining in 2011 after competing at The International with Online Kingdom. Yao led LGD to a third-place finish at The International in 2012. He stayed with LGD for a further four years, again finishing third at The International in 2015.

After those successful years, Yao ended up on sister team LGD Forever Young, where he helped to lift the team out of relative obscurity. This wasn’t overlooked by PSG.LGD, who brought Yao back onto the main squad as captain.

At the end of that season, Yao joined LGD Forever Young once again for the majority of 2018. The veteran Dota 2 pro finished the season with Team Root, which failed to qualify for The International 2018. PSG.LGD finished in second, its best ever result at the world’s biggest Dota 2 tournament.

Now, Yao is joining current coach and Chinese Dota 2 legend Yao “QQQ” Yi on the team’s coaching staff to help the team practice for the upcoming Disneyland Paris Major.

While the majority of the Dota 2 community is excited at Yao’s return, many wonder if it will cause issues within LGD leading up to such an important event.

In 2017, LGD’s Wang “Ame” Chunyu reportedly said he would leave the team if Yao stayed on, and many believe this to be the reason for Yao leaving the team to join LGD Forever Young once again. In fact, many fans have speculated that LGD Forever Young was built around Yao so that LGD would be able to keep Ame on their team without losing Yao entirely.

Fans of PSG.LGD will hop that Yao articipating in this new capacity will only bring further success for PSG.LGD.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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