This article is brought to you by StatBanana, the best Dota 2 strategy tool.
Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao and Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu are no longer part of the Fighting Pandas Dota 2 roster.
David “MoonMeander” Tan broke the news, which has since been confirmed by the team’s captain Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling.
The FP team was born in the wake of The International 2019. It represented the first TI that EternaLEnVy missed since 2014. The player was left teamless after a short stint with beastcoast that was mired in controversy for his treatment of Nico “Gunnar “Lopez.
Related: The best Dota 2 moments of 2019
While the team had some growing pains to adjust to, they quickly became one of the better teams in the North American region with their roster of experienced NA Dota veterans. They managed to qualify for the first Major of the 2019-20 Dota Pro Circuit, the MDL Chengdu Major.
Since their debut appearance at the Major, they have not been able to beat the two top dogs in the region, Evil Geniuses and Chaos Esports Club. Regardless, this was a team with potential, backed up with some of the brightest minds in NA Dota, including a previous TI winner.
With Cloud9 announcing their return to Dota 2 after a two-year break, it seems highly possible that EternaLEnVy might be making his way back to his old stomping grounds with Sneyking in tow.
C9 previously played in the Southeast Asian region for the third round of the DPC 2019-20 qualifiers for logistical reasons. The team even loaned a SEA player for the event but bombed in the open qualifiers.
The organization has already stated its intention to move back and compete in the North American region.
C9’s most successful period in Dota 2 was with EternaLEnVy at the helm. While it wasn’t quite Team Liquid and Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi, EternaLEnVy’s C9 proved to be one of the most consistent rosters in North America, and were often the only team that could put up a fight against Evil Geniuses.
Under C9’s banner, the Canadian carry achieved the highest TI placement of his career in 2014, a respectable fifth to sixth.
Old friends and allies in Johan “pieliedie” Åström and Rasmus “MISERY” Filipsen are already there, leading the new roster. Along with Rolen “Skemberlu” Ong, a young Fillipino player that EternaLEnVy thought highly of, all the factors are lining up for C9’s golden child EternaLEnVy to make a glorious return.
