The post-TI roster shuffle has claimed another Dota 2 team, and this time it’s in China. It’s none other than Elephant, which saw the entire roster disband. That’s not really surprising considering their performance at The International. What is surprising, however, is the decision of the organization to go inactive.
Here are what happened to the roster:
- Zhang “Eurus” Chengju: Contract has expired.
- Lu “SomnusM” Yao: Contract is terminated.
- Zhou “Yang” Haiyang: Contract is terminated.
- Xu “fy” Linsen: Contract is terminated.
- Xie “Super” Junhao: Lease contract expires. Returns to Royal Never Give Up.
- Bai “rOtK” Fan (Coach): After the contract expires to become a free agent.
A Quick Look Back
When the roster was first announced in late 2020, there were high expectations. After all, it had some of the best Dota 2 players in the region. However, because the region had many good teams as well, Elephant had some trouble entering two Majors. They actually placed fifth for the two seasons of the regular DPC.
This meant that they had to go through the Qualifiers if they wanted to be part of TI. With the top four teams already qualified, Elephant pretty much dominated their opponents.
At TI, fans immediately knew Elephant was in trouble after almost being eliminated at the Group Stage. They had to start the Playoffs at the Lower Bracket and faced Evil Geniuses. That particular match caught the eyes of the community with many saying that whoever lost the match would be the last team the roster would see together. It was right!
Disbanding the Roster
In a post, the club revealed that while everyone wanted to continue, it was important to accept reality. The financial aspect it seems was the main consideration. The club even made a surprise revelation by saying that there are still players trapped in Romania and they are working on returning them home safely.
The club also shared that while they did cancel the contract of some players, there was no penalty incurred. As a result, it won’t be a burden to the players.
This is indeed sad news not only for Dota 2 fans in China but even for those around the world. Hopefully, we get to see them again as a team and compete.
What do you think?
