Home crowd, no hometown teams at BLAST Slam V; China’s slump raises questions

Wang “Ame” Chunyu – known throughout the Dota 2 world as “the uncrowned king” has seen his fair share of TI disappointment. With TI2025 being his seventh appearance at the prestigious event, Ame entered into yet another grand final, hoping to finally claim his crown.

With an intense grand finals between Xtreme Gaming and Team Falcons, the champion of The International 2025 was determined. And it wasn’t in favour of Ame.

Second place is nothing to shake a stick at, and it felt like Chinese Dota still had enough firepower to stand toe-to-toe with the strongest. But the months after TI tell a different story, something has gone terribly wrong since then. Not just for Xtreme Gaming or Ame, but for China overall. They seem to have disappeared from the top of the competitive field entirely.

After four consecutive LAN events without a Chinese team even coming close to the playoffs, concerns are rising about the region’s current form heading into a TI hosted on home soil.

A pattern across four LANs since TI

Early exits at BLAST Slam V follow a series of similar results since October, painting a broader picture of a region struggling to find momentum. Across four major events and almost a dozen opportunities, not a single Chinese team reached a playoff bracket. And the placements tell a clear, worrying story.

Event-by-event recap

BLAST Slam IV (Oct 14–Nov 9)

• Yakult Brothers: 11–12th

FISSURE Playground (Oct 23–Nov 2)

• Vici Gaming: 9–11th
• Yakult Brothers: 15–16th

PGL Wallachia Season 6 (Nov 15–23)

• Xtreme Gaming: 9–11th
• Yakult Brothers: 12–14th
• Roar: 15–16th

BLAST Slam V (Nov 25–Dec 7)

• Tearlaments: 11–12th
• Xtreme Gaming: 7–10th
• Yakult Brothers: 7–10th
• Team Tidebound: 7–10th

The bigger picture across these events:

• 4 tier 1 offline tournaments
• 10 total Chinese team appearances
• 0 playoff runs
• Top-10 finish per event only 50% of the time

Possible factors behind the slow start

There’s no single explanation for China’s slump; instead, several overlapping issues may be dragging the region down. But the reasons aren't as simple as “weak teams” or “inexperienced players.” These teams are not trying to fly with fledgling players. Many were veteran lineups, teams meant to contend. Not collapse.

After coming back home from The International with a second-place finish for the third time in his career, Ame reunited with old friends, Cheng “NothingToSay” Jin and Xu “fy” Linsen to start the pursuit for another year’s Aegis of Champions. The team waved goodbye to Zhao "XinQ" Zixing and Guo "Xm" Hongcheng, who had been on the roster for the past two years and had been a key factor in the team’s success at TI 2025.

Vici Gaming returned to competitive Dota 2 with a brand-new roster, after disappearing from the scene for a few years. While the team is very different from their attempted TI 2025 qualifier roster, it does keep the position 5 support player Ding “Dy” Cong on board and welcomed aboard several veterans including Xm, who parted ways with Xtreme Gaming.

In fact, He "TK" Boyi on Tearlaments is the least experienced player, having started his career in 2021. Almost all other players on these teams are competing 7-10 years.

Fatigue and scheduling pressure could be an issue and complicate things. The qualifiers for BLAST, PGL Wallachia S6, RES Unchained, DreamLeague, and FISSURE began less than two weeks after the fireworks marked the end of the last season. These qualifiers all landed within days of each other. And in some cases, overlapping entirely.

Then the LANs came with flights back and forth across the globe and tight competitive schedules. Between overlapping qualifiers, online events, and a steady rotation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 tournaments, players move directly from one high-pressure environment to the next. This is a mental health crisis waiting to happen.

• Read Barely a break: What the new Dota 2 Season is already demanding from its players

But, of course, the question remains: If fatigue affects everyone, why is China suffering disproportionately?

Mouz and OG are thriving and ascending, Tundra and Falcons continue to dominate.

Looking ahead to TI in Shanghai

The International returns to China in 2026—a moment that should electrify the region. And despite the rough start, there are still reasons for optimism.

Chinese Dota has historically been defined not by its early form, but by its ability to peak at the right time. The region has reinvented itself in the past—2012, 2016, 2021—and climbed back from worse droughts. There is still time, still talent, and still infrastructure behind these teams. But the slump can’t be ignored.

As BLAST moves to Chengdu without a single hometown representative, the spotlight turns inward. China has a full season to correct course, rediscover its identity, and rebuild toward a TI that will be played in front of its fans—on its soil—under the weight of enormous expectations.

The question now is simple: Can China turn things around in time?

Xtreme Gaming, Yakult Brothers and Team Tidebound’s next shot at changing the narrative will be at DreamLeague Season 27 starting December 10th