Dota 2: LGD Gaming to enter 'intermission period', make roster adjustments following disappointing start to 2024 season
This decision comes after LGD Gaming failed to make it out of three Chinese regional qualifiers for international tournaments, among other disappointing performances.
Chinese Dota 2 stalwarts LGD Gaming announced on Friday (29 March) that the team will be entering an 'intermission period' where they will not participate in any tournaments and make adjustments to their roster following a disappointing start to the 2024 season.
In a post on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, LGD said their decision to enter an intermission period came after "the team's recent performance" and "an internal meeting" within the organisation.
"From today on, the LGD Dota 2 team will enter the intermission period [...] After the new lineup adjustment is completed, we will participate in the follow-up [tournaments]," LGD said in their announcement.
"We are very sorry to bring such a decision to the fans who continue to follow us. Thank you to the fans and sponsors for the long-term support of the LGD Dota 2 team [...] The dream is still alive."
Expectations were high for LGD for the 2024 season after they capped off a rollercoaster 2023 season with an unexpected third place finish at The International 2023 last October.
However, such hopes were quickly tempered the following month when star midlaner Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang moved to G2.iG while position 4 support player Lin "planet" Hao was placed on the inactive roster. LGD replaced their departing players with Zhou "Emo" Yi and Xiong "Pyw" Jiahan.
LGD's last tournament of 2023, and its first with its new roster, saw them bomb out of the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 Group Stage.
The team then started 2024 by failing to qualify for DreamLeague Season 22 and ESL One Birmingham 2024, only managing to finish third in the Chinese regional qualifier for both of those tournaments. That rough start prompted LGD to move Emo to its inactive roster and replace him with Gao "Setsu" Zhenxiong by the end of January.
February saw LGD play in two international tournaments by way of direct invites, though they still produced mixed results.
In BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024, LGD were one of the best-performing teams during the Group Stage, only to crumble in the Playoffs and get eliminated in 7th-8th place. LGD faced considerably weaker competition in Games of the Future 2024, though they only finished in second place after losing to regional rivals Xtreme Gaming in the Grand Finals.
LGD's most recent competitive outing in the Chinese regional qualifier for DreamLeague Season 23 then saw them get knocked out in 5th-6th place by G2.iG.