China’s Dota 2 teams are eliminated from TI15, and even worse, they don’t seem to care

For the primary time in Dota 2 historical past, zero Chinese language groups have certified for the highest eight of The Worldwide, with Xtreme Gaming, Vici Gaming, and Staff Resilience exiting TI15 within the group stage. This stings much more, as this 12 months’s iteration is being hosted in Shanghai – their dwelling turf.

And although China’s absence from the playoffs might shock the common Dota 2 fan, anybody who’s been following the skilled scene all through the season can let you know it’s not a shocking consequence – possibly even anticipated. The area has been on the decline over the previous few years, and it has reached an all-time low in 2026. 

Probably the most regarding half in all of that is that I don’t assume the gamers are motivated anymore, and stakeholders within the scene have made questionable choices, too. It is likely to be time to have some uncomfortable conversations about what was once the strongest area in Dota 2. 

As a Chinese language Dota 2 fan myself, let’s not sugarcoat something right here: the nation’s efficiency at TI15 was, frankly, not nice.

Xtreme Gaming was instantly invited to TI15, whereas the likes of Staff Spirit and TEAM VISION weren’t. They had been alleged to be the Chinese language representatives securing a powerful end on dwelling soil. However as an alternative, they utterly bombed out of the group stage with a 1-4 document. 

The worst half is, they misplaced to Staff Spirit, GamerLegion, LGD Gaming (a workforce with a last-minute stand-in) and Staff Resilience. Except for Spirit, a superteam like Xtreme Gaming ought to by no means be shedding to groups like GamerLegion and Staff Resilience.

They actually went from second place final 12 months to backside three. 

Xtreme Gaming had already been on the decline all through the season, so Vici Gaming headed into TI15 because the highest-ranked Chinese language workforce after their prime 4 end on the Esports World Cup. 

Nonetheless, Vici Gaming went 2-3 and misplaced within the elimination stage. They had been unable to essentially rise up in opposition to the highest groups on the occasion. 

Vici Gaming and Xtreme Gaming had been alleged to be one of the best China needed to supply, however I’d argue it ended up being Staff Resilience. Many individuals assumed this group of “Chinese language Rejects” claimed the charity slot, with many followers placing them 0-4 of their TI15 predictions. Seems – they ended up dealing probably the most injury.

Positive, Staff Resilience additionally went out within the elimination stage, however they left a superb impression. They dealt the ultimate blow to eradicate Xtreme Gaming within the 1-3 pool, and even took maps off TEAM VISION, Staff Yandex, and Staff Spirit, that are three of the highest groups in all the occasion. 

It’s fairly wild that Staff Resilience had been placing in stronger performances than the 2 big-money orgs within the area. It needs to be the opposite approach round. 

Outcomes are one factor, and I don’t wish to dig into these as a lot. What actually worries me extra is the angle behind them. 

Let’s begin with Xtreme Gaming and dig into just a little little bit of context. All through the common season, we’ve seen Ame rage GG’ing out of video games tremendous early, and it wasn’t a one-time factor. Then, their legendary coach Zhang “xiao8” Ning left the workforce and went dwelling in the midst of a event, forcing their assistant coach to take over the drafts. In a while, it was introduced that xiao8 was, in truth, out of the workforce, forcing a coach change proper earlier than the most important occasion of the 12 months. 

Now, we head into TI15 itself. In Sport 2 of Xtreme Gaming versus GamerLegion, Ame whipped out carry Io, which in all equity, is an precise, viable decide. Nonetheless, a few of his choices are up for query. He Relocated into the enemy base, with out buyback, when the entire enemy heroes had been lacking, and simply died for 2 minutes. This misplay rapidly ballooned into his workforce shedding the sport shortly after. 

I do know Ame isn’t probably the most expressive participant on the market, however I actually discover it unhappy that he doesn’t react to this loss of life in any respect. There was no face palm, no slight look of remorse – it simply seems to be like he doesn’t care. 

It’s not simply the gamers, both. After Vici Gaming was eradicated from the event by Staff Falcons, the workforce’s proprietor actually disbanded the roster lower than an hour after his boys had been despatched packing. He couldn’t even wait till the top of the event, and even the top of the day – he simply up and posted “GG, disbanded” and didn’t elaborate additional. 

Both the proprietor is making an attempt to interrupt a world document for the quickest disbandment, or he simply appears to have given up on Chinese language Dota. 

Perhaps we will’t actually blame the gamers, and that there’s a less complicated clarification: they’re burned out. Loads of gamers on Xtreme Gaming and Vici Gaming have been carrying the area for near a decade now. 

I imply, Vici Gaming’s Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida and Zhang “y`” Yiping received China’s final Aegis at TI6, ten entire years in the past, and so they’re nonetheless competing at this time. Xu “fy” Linsen even unretired himself to play the season with Xtreme Gaming, and he’s been floating round since 2013. 

Then, there’s all the time Ame, who’s actually been by it. He misplaced three TI grand finals, with all three in Sport 5. I don’t find out about you, however that may’ve made me mentally try and by no means wish to play Dota 2 once more. However, he’s nonetheless on the market making an attempt to place his area again on the map. 

With how the Dota 2 scene is creating, the brand new gen is taking up. Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov has been wreaking havoc, and the final TI-winning workforce had the likes of Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak and Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf as their new blood. But when we check out China, they don’t have their very own Satanic equal – it’s nonetheless the identical 10 guys getting recycled over and over. 

That is primarily as a result of most zoomers in China are too fixated on Honor of Kings, the cell MOBA sport that’s booming within the nation. Dota 2 is now seen as an previous man’s sport there, and I don’t actually blame them for it.

Honor of Kings is far more accessible and simpler to study. All you want is a cell phone to play – you don’t want to purchase a gaming PC as an adolescent or spend your allowance to play in web cafés. You’d additionally should sink 1000’s of hours to lastly get the cling of Dota 2, however you’d most likely solely want lower than 50 to develop into an honest HoK participant already. 

The purpose is, the individuals who had been supposed to switch Ame, Faith_bian, and fy are most likely taking part in Honor of Kings proper now. After these guys finally cling it up, I simply don’t see anybody else adequate to fill their sneakers. 

With the frustration at this TI, held of their dwelling nation no much less, many are already pushing for the “Chinese language Dota is lifeless” narrative, and I’m type of in settlement. However, I don’t assume the area is dying straight away. 

My stance is that the area isn’t going to die straight away. I’m pretty certain a few of the guys from the present Xtreme Gaming and Vici Gaming rosters may name it quits for good. However, there ought to nonetheless be sufficient guys left over to kind at the very least two first rate groups. We are able to combine in some Staff Resilience gamers, possibly seize a Yakult’s Brother or two, and you’ve got one thing workable at the very least.

However should you ask me, I do assume the scene goes to slowly fizzle out over the subsequent 12 months or two. So if we’re speaking functionally, it is likely to be pretty much as good as lifeless until a miracle occurs subsequent season.