China’s Dota 2 groups are eradicated from TI15, and even worse, they do not appear 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 Workforce Resilience exiting TI15 within the group stage. This stings much more, as this 12 months’s iteration is being hosted in Shanghai – their house 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 inform you it’s not a shocking consequence – perhaps 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 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 straight invited to TI15, whereas the likes of Workforce Spirit and TEAM VISION weren’t. They have been purported to be the Chinese language representatives securing a powerful end on house soil. However as a substitute, they fully bombed out of the group stage with a 1-4 document. 

The worst half is, they misplaced to Workforce Spirit, GamerLegion, LGD Gaming (a workforce with a last-minute stand-in) and Workforce Resilience. Other than Spirit, a superteam like Xtreme Gaming ought to by no means be dropping to groups like GamerLegion and Workforce 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 have been unable to actually get up towards the highest groups on the occasion. 

Vici Gaming and Xtreme Gaming have been purported to be the perfect China needed to provide, however I’d argue it ended up being Workforce 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 essentially the most harm.

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

It’s fairly wild that Workforce Resilience have been placing in stronger performances than the 2 big-money orgs within the area. It must be the opposite approach round. 

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

Let’s begin with Xtreme Gaming and dig into a bit of 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 house in the midst of a match, forcing their assistant coach to take over the drafts. Afterward, it was introduced that xiao8 was, in actual fact, out of the workforce, forcing a coach change proper earlier than the largest 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 choose. Nonetheless, a few of his choices are up for query. He Relocated into the enemy base, with out buyback, when the entire enemy heroes have been lacking, and simply died for 2 minutes. This misplay shortly ballooned into his workforce dropping the sport shortly after. 

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

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

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

Possibly we are able to’t actually blame the gamers, and that there’s a less complicated rationalization: they’re burned out. A variety 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 right now. Xu “fy” Linsen even unretired himself to play the season with Xtreme Gaming, and he’s been floating round since 2013. 

Then, there’s at all times Ame, who’s actually been via 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 need to play Dota 2 once more. However, he’s nonetheless on the market attempting 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 time and again. 

That is primarily as a result of most zoomers in China are too fixated on Honor of Kings, the cell MOBA recreation that’s booming within the nation. Dota 2 is now seen as an outdated man’s recreation 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 a young person or spend your allowance to play in web cafés. You’d additionally should sink 1000’s of hours to lastly get the dangle of Dota 2, however you’d most likely solely want lower than 50 to grow to be a good HoK participant already. 

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

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

My stance is that the area isn’t going to die instantly. I’m pretty positive a number 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 type not less than two respectable groups. We will combine in some Workforce Resilience gamers, perhaps seize a Yakult’s Brother or two, and you’ve got one thing workable not less than.

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