While North and South American Dota 2 have entered a sponsor drought, China’s scene in the esport is thriving. The latest boost for the region is G2 Esports officially entering the game, partnering with Invictus Gaming to form a new superteam.
G2’s entry into Dota through a partnership with iG was hinted at back on Nov. 11 when the Chinese organization confirmed its roster for the upcoming season. Hidden in the shadows of the team graphic sat two logos, one nearly obscured entirely except for a gleaming red eye. Now, G2 has confirmed the partnership, with both orgs forming G2.iG.
For iG, this partnership will give the organization additional backing from a team outside of China, allowing for growth in other markets. The same applies to G2, which notes this is its next step in “global expansion” as it enters a key market through a partnership that provides regional talent and an established name in Dota—a game that has been a “longstanding target” for the org.
“Both China and Dota have been at the forefront of our minds for a long time but until now, we haven’t found the right fit that would work in the long term,” G2 CEO Alban Dechelotte said. “We know partnering with iG – who have a Worlds trophy and an Aegis, will enable us to build the best team and we can bring the G2 way to yet another region and a new esport.”
This season, iG retained JT- from its previous roster before making a splash with four new additions. NothingToSay was acquired through a transfer with PSG.LGD and paired with former Team Aster standout Monet to create a superstar set mid and carry duo. After five years away from the org, BoBoKa also made the jump from Aster to rejoin iG, bringing over xNova from BOOM Esports—after the pair spent time playing together from August to November. The team is coached by super and @dogf1ghts, while KBBQ finally has another team to manage.
G2 has now made two big moves to expand in the last week, entering Dota with iG and signing a deal with Version1 to join the Call of Duty League with the Minnesota RØKKR and acquire its Rocket League talent. The G2.iG deal is being facilitated in part by Asian betting platform M88 Mansion, adding another layer to the continued and controversial growth of betting in esports and the Dota space.
