TI 2026 fy spotlight: The forgotten uncrowned king

Dreams of Dota 2 glory at The International are present for every professional player. Some fulfil these as early as their first appearance at the event, while others are left in a constant battle, hoping to one day attain their triumph. One such player is Xu “fy” Linsen, and for him, the grandeur of TI victory has been just beyond his grasp on many occasions.

As the player with the most top 4 finishes in the prestigious event without actually winning it, fy is far more of an uncrowned king than his teammate, Wang “Ame” Chunyu. After missing out on TI for two years, he returns, hoping to finally find his moment in the limelight in 2026.

fy: The true uncrowned king

It may be two years since fy was present at TI, but there is almost certainly one image that all fans of Dota 2 remember. We all know the Johan “n0tail” Sundstein stare, but fy’s losing moment at TI 2018 is also burned into our minds. As the fireworks went off behind him, the player was left to look back on another second-place finish – wondering when his time would come.

It is now 2026, but fy’s journey began a long time ago, when Chinese Dota still reigned supreme.

Although his career started with a lot of controversy, a young fy still managed to quickly make a name for himself. Vici Gaming, back in 2013, was where everything began – but it would only be 2014 when he would get his first taste of TI. This was a team which began to make headlines in the scene, featuring some of the most well-known Chinese players of the time. A support duo akin to fy’s current, he was then backed up by Lu “Fenrir” Chao, while Liu "Sylar" Jiajun, Xie "Super" Junhao, and Bai "rOtK" Fan completed the roster.

Unfortunately, the grand finals at TI4 gave fy the bitter taste of defeat on the grand stage for the first time. This would be where his uncrowned journey would begin.

TI5 would see yet another moment that the player fell short, this time finishing in fourth place, but fy remained loyal to VG, despite the team changing around him. The following year would see the support player move onto VG’s secondary roster, VG Reborn, and managed to beat the main roster to TI. Unfortunately, that would be as far as things went, as VG.R were eliminated in the first round of the main event. 2017 would prove another dismal year for the player, as he moved to VGJ, and did not make it to TI.

But then came the big change, as fy swapped over to a new powerhouse, LGD Gaming. And things began to spark again. 2018 was a massive year for him, with some fantastic results across the board. But it would also be the year of his second runner-up medal at TI, in that well-known loss to OG in the grand finals.

While he remained with what had become PSG.LGD, 2019 saw yet another moment where fy was so close to the Aegis of Champions – only to have it ripped away as they finished in third place.

Leaving LGD did not help the matter. 2023 with Azure Ray would be the last time we saw fy at TI, and it came with yet another top 4 finish before a two year absence from the event.

Then in late 2025 came the call. Joining what is now Xtreme Gaming. Reforming his bond with both Ame and Yap "xNova" Jian Wei. Now, in 2026, returning to Shanghai, China. The place where the thousand-yard stare became famous. This time hoping that the Aegis of Champions is in his hands once the fireworks die down.

There are small hints that fatigue has begun to set in, and at 31 years of age, we could even see this as fy’s final dash for the crown. As one of the oldest players at TI, and the most top 4 placements without winning, fy’s claim as the true uncrowned king currently remains undisputed.

But it is almost time. Time for fy to step up. Time to rise up and be crowned. This time, maybe in front of their home fans at TI 2026 in Shanghai, China, things will be different.