It’s been a fast couple of months for Azure Ray’s Dota 2 roster. Losing three core members after TI 2023 didn’t sting as much since their replacements brought home a major trophy from ESL One Kuala Lumpur, but those names are gone after only a month to play with Ame.
Xm, Xxs, and XinQ exceeded expectations alongside their teammates Lou and Yftx. But during their short time together, Azure Ray’s owner was cooking something else on the side as they also own Xtreme Gaming.
In early December, Ame announced his return to competitive Dota 2 under Xtreme’s banner. He’d instantly link up with the team’s position five player, Dy, but the remaining three slots were open until today. While dismantling a championship team right after their glorious run could seem less than ideal, the main goal seems to be to surround Ame with the best available talent.
While Azure Ray is now in another roster crisis, there’s another competitive ruling it might struggle to comply with. Valve limits owners from having two teams competing in major tournaments. Technically, Azure Ray and Xtreme Gaming can’t participate in a Valve event simultaneously, but there might be a silver lining here.
Valve recently ended the Dota Pro Circuit’s six-year event “stranglehold” and took a step back from the competitive scene, allowing third-party organizers to flourish. If these organizers weren’t to share the same values as Valve, both Xtreme and Azure Ray could potentially participate in non-Valve events.
At time of writing, it’s unclear who will replace the three available slots on Azure Ray, but Chinese Dota 2 rumors point to Fy and Faith_Bian returning. While Dota 2 fans are sad to see a new champion fall apart this soon, Ame’s return to competitive Dota 2 has sparked a sense of excitement in his home region. Ame hasn’t won a TI yet, but Yatoro immortalized him on Dota 2’s Aegis of Champions in 2023, so it might finally be his time to do it himself in 2024.
