Team Aster is the only non-Western European team in the final four of The International 2022. China’s last guard exceeded expectations as the region’s favorites struggled to find footing. With Royal Never Give Up crashing out of the tournament after going through health issues, PSG.LGD also had its worst TI placement in recent years.
Given Somnus’ and Faith_bian’s retirement announcements, Aster also became the last top-tier Chinese team with a full roster. Their rivals will be looking to fill the newly created gaps in their roster, which can become a challenge given the lack of new talent in the Chinese Dota 2 scene.
Aster’s coach Cheng “Mad” Han discussed the topic during the TI11 press conference today, and he shared his concerns and hopes for the Chinese Dota 2 region.
“Most of the new generation are playing mobile games rather than Dota,” Mad said. “So the player count in the region has definitely declined compared to South America and Russia.”
Despite what the numbers were telling, Mad still believes there are still Dota 2 talents in China waiting to be discovered while also reminding everyone that the stage would always be there for players who put in the time and effort to improve their talents.
During the first TI in 2011, China was considered the strongest region in Dota. Whenever Western teams would get invited to a tournament in the region, it would be a quick trip for them since the Chinese were on another level. However, this changed as the game evolved. The region was still taking home the Aegis of Champions every two years, but that cycle ended after 2016 as the region is yet to win a TI again.
It’s been more than six years since Aegis went the way of China, and the region’s hope for this year rests upon Aster’s shoulders.
