Vici Gaming announces Eurus departure, reveals new roster

Steven Rondina Published 15/09/2020

More changes have come to Vici Gaming’s Dota 2 roster.

The organization has revealed its new Dota 2 roster while also confirming the departure of longtime carry player Zhang “Eurus” Chengjun. The new roster retains three members of the 2019-2020 season’s roster while adding two somewhat surprising names.

The new Vici Gaming roster stands as follows:

1. Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon
2. Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang
3. Ren “eLeVeN” Yangwei
4. Xiong “Pyw”‘ Jiahan
5. Ding “Dy” Cong

The most intriguing name on Vici Gaming’s new roster is 23savage. The Thai player has wowed fans with his pub game exploits, notably becoming the first player ever to reach 11,000 MMR. He made a huge leap in his pro career earlier this year by competing with Fnatic. The reason split for his split from the team in July was unclear, but he is now headed to an even bigger name in the Dota 2 scene.

23savage will not be able to join the team for a short while as he awaits a visa to travel to China. He is estimated to be arriving in the winter, which prompted Vici Gaming to sign former Keen Gaming player Yang “Erica” Shaohan as a substitute until he arrives.

Vici Gaming also added old eLeVeN as its new off laner. Best known for his stints with EHOME, he has been loaned out to a slew of formidable teams over the last few years. He most recently helped PSG.LGD win both seasons of the DPL-CDA Dota 2 League.

Eurus’ departure a big hit for Vici Gaming

The new roster is a strong one, but it’s hard to make the case that it’s stronger than the 2019-2020 version of the team. 

Earlier this month, Vici Gaming confirmed the departure of Zhou “Yang” Haiyang. Yang had spent his entire professional career with Vici Gaming to that point, playing with all of the organization’s different sister teams including VGJ.Thunder, Vici Gaming Reborn, and Vici Gaming Potential.

Eurus, previously known as Paparazi, joined Vici Gaming in 2017 after two seasons with the Invictus Gaming organization. Though his time with iG was underwhelming, his time with Vici saw him make the case for being China’s best carry player.

Yang and Eurus helped Vici Gaming achieve elite status in the 2018-2019 season, winning three Dota Pro Circuit events. The 2019-2020 season also started off very strong for the team, placing top three in the first two majors and winning the ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore.

It’s unclear what the future holds for either Yang or Eurus, but they find themselves free agents alongside a number of top Chinese players including former PSG.LGD players Lu “Somnus” Yao and Xu “fy” Linsen. Rumors had previously circulated that this move was in the pipeline, which came alongside rumors that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds organization Four Angry Men was set to scoop them all up to form a new all-star Dota 2 team.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile

Read Also

Dota 2

Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...

Dota 2

BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Michael Hassall LGD Gaming in the top three of a tournament!? What is this 2021? BLAST Slam VII has been one of the most surprising tournaments of the year, and has capped off the pre-EWC and TI season with some of the most thrilling gameplay we’ve seen in months. And the finals are set to be even more exciting. With just three teams left there’s a lot on the line, from the ...

Dota 2

Easiest Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners – Best Picks to Learn the Game Simon Day We can all agree that Dota 2 is a complex game, but starting with the right heroes can make the learning process much smoother. Choosing one of the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners is key to building your skills and enjoying your matches. That’s why it’s time to explore the heroes that are easy to understand, effective in the game and great for learning the fundamentals. Without going into ...

Dota 2

BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Preview – Visa issues transform the playoff picture Michael Hassall BLAST Slam VII is the last major tournament before teams lock-in and compete at the EWC and The International, and as a result, we’re seeing a tournament with some unique outcomes. With teams seemingly treating this as a last-minute tune-up before the championship clashes of the next two months, a South American team has topped the table and some of the best teams in the world are either without players ...

Dota 2

TI-Champions Tundra Esports exit Dota 2 as roster transfers to 1win Michael Hassall Tundra Esports has revealed it’s leaving Dota 2 after six years and a victory at The International 2022. The UK-based organization has announced its roster will transfer directly to 1win for future events. The announcement, posted on Tundra's socials on June 1, confirms rumors and earlier social posts from 1win which hinted at a new lineup. With the move, however, questions about 1win’s existing EEU roster and attendance at The ...

Dota 2

A full weekend of TI15 tickets will cost you just $280 – If you don’t mind the view Michael Hassall Alongside the team invites for The International 2026, Valve today (May 26) unveiled the pricing and details of how to purchase tickets for TI15, and the price is the lowest in years. For years we’ve seen the price of The International Prize, with a peak of around $700 as a lowest price for a full weekend for both 2023 in Seattle, and 2024 in Copenhagen. But after a fall in ...

Dota 2

Valve has announced the TI15 invites: Here’s why some team names are very different Michael Hassall It’s around three months until The International 2026, TI15, and Valve has just unveiled the direct invites and qualifier invites to the event, but eagle-eyed fans will notice some strange names in the team lists. Valve unveiled the invites in the small hours of the morning on May 26 (late evening on May 25 for their HQ in Bellevue, Washington), detailing the seven direct invites, regional qualifier invites, and some ...