OG missed out on qualifying for the Lima Major after losing an intense three-way tiebreaker with Tundra Esports and Entity and finishing fifth in the European branch of the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit Winter Tour. One of their players, however, will make an appearance as a stand-in for Eastern European team HellRaisers, who had a void to fill after kicking Daxak days before the major due to issues he had with their coach, Nofear, and captain, Solo.
That player is none other than Yuragi, whose prowess in the carry lane is well-known at this point. He’s already won two majors with OG—ESL One Stockholm 2022 and ESL One Malaysia 2022—and he’s been given the opportunity to nab a third with HellRaisers as a stand-in.
It’s a win-win for both organizations. For OG, it gives Yuragi a chance to develop and improve at the highest level, and for HellRaisers, it means they’ll have a beast in their ranks for the tournament.
But while it sounds good in theory, how it’ll translate in terms of results is a different story. Yuragi has had barely any time to learn and adapt to the team’s strategies. At the same time, HellRaisers might need to mix things up to play around his strengths, which could go either way.
Still, HellRaisers decided kicking Daxak was in the team’s best interests despite finishing third in their region’s Winter Tour ladder with five wins and two losses, so they had no choice but to seek out the services of a stand-in, and they’ve landed one of the best in Yuragi.
Will they be able to gel in time and pull off an incredible run at the Lima Major, or will the difficulties of their circumstances present too many challenges to overcome in a short amount of time?
We’ll find out once the event kicks off on Feb. 22.
