Gaozu: The New Powerhouse of the Chinese Dota 2 Scene

The Chinese team Gaozu continues to make waves on the professional Dota 2 scene. Built around former Xtreme Gaming stars Wang "Ame" Chunyu and Zhang "Paparazi" Chengjun, the roster emerged as a sensation during the open and closed qualifiers for ESL One Bangkok 2024, securing a well-earned spot in the tournament.

Ame’s departure from Xtreme Gaming raised many questions, which his former teammate Guo "Xm" Hongcheng addressed in an interview shared on the Telegram channel "Chinese Muesli." Xm expressed his thoughts:

"From my perspective, I believe our team wasn’t worthy of him. I think Gaozu suits him better. Gaozu is strong in every position and looks almost invincible."

Gaozu’s rise, however, coincided with the surprising news of Ding "Dy" Chun’s potential retirement. Dy announced his plans to step away from competitive play temporarily, citing personal reasons and his admiration for his new teammates’ exceptional strength:

"To be honest, Gaozu’s strength exceeded my expectations. I thought we’d just be 'clowns' in the tournament, but my teammates turned out to be so impressive that I had no other choice."

Dy further revealed that his participation in the team would only last until early 2024 due to his upcoming wedding:

"After January or February, I’ll leave to focus on wedding preparations. The team will find a replacement, and I won’t be 'ruining games' for more than a couple of months."

Despite stepping away, Dy plans to remain involved in the esports scene, focusing on streaming matches and maintaining ties with Gaozu.

The ESL One Bangkok 2024 tournament will run from 9 to 15 December in Thailand, featuring a $1 million prize pool and ESL Pro Tour points. Gaozu, who delivered an outstanding performance in the qualifiers, are already shaping up to be one of the most closely watched teams in the tournament.

Having established themselves as a rising force in Chinese Dota 2, Gaozu combines talent and ambition. However, roster uncertainties add another layer of intrigue to their journey at ESL One Bangkok 2024.