G2 Esports enters Dota 2 by joining forces with Invictus Gaming to form star-studded G2.IG squad
G2 Esports enters Dota 2 by taking Invictus Gaming's star-studded roster, headlined by stars like carry player Monet and midlaner NothingToSay, under its wing.
Global esports brand G2 Esports has finally announced its entry into the Dota 2 esports scene on Friday (8 December) by joining forces with Chinese organisation Invictus Gaming (IG) to form G2.iG.
As part of this landmark collaboration, the star-studded IG roster of Du "Monet" Peng, Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang, Thiay "JT-" Jun Wen, Ye "BoBoKa" Zhibiao, and Yap "xNova" Jian Wei as well as coaches Su "super" Peng and Gao "@dogf1ghts" Tianpeng will now be competing under the G2.iG banner.
American manager and community figure Jack "KBBQ" Chen has also been announced as G2.iG's manager.
IG made one of the biggest splashes of the Dota 2 offseason when it signed its star-studded roster in early November, having acquired star players from regional rivals LGD Gaming, Team Aster, and Xtreme Gaming.
The organisation's huge offseason signings notably came after a disappointing two-year stretch for one of the most decorated organisations in Dota 2 that can boast the championship of The International (TI) 2012.
G2's decision to partner with IG came as a result of the global brand having a growing "fan footprint" in China despite not having a local team there.
"With G2.iG, G2 will now focus on providing more ways for Chinese fans to interact with and support G2, and look forward to the prospect of local activations and events," G2 said in a statement.
"Both China and DOTA have been at the forefront of our minds for a long time but until now, we haven’t found the right fit that would work in the long term," added G2 CEO Alban Dechelotte.
"We know partnering with iG - who have a Worlds trophy and an Aegis, will enable us to build the best team and we can bring the G2 way to yet another region and a new esport. This really is the best time to be a G2 fan.”
G2.iG will be making their debut in ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, the last big Dota 2 tournament of the year with a US$1 million prize pool, from 11 to 17 December. There, they will face off against 11 other top Dota 2 teams, including many of the exciting new squads that were formed during the offseason.
The formation of G2.iG notably marks the second time that G2 has partnered with an Asian organisation to expand into both a new esports title and a new market. Back in February, G2 partnered with Filipino organisation Blacklist International to form G2.Blacklist and enter the League of Legends: Wild Rift esports scene.
G2 now boasts 13 teams competing in nine esports titles, including Dota 2, League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six, Rocket League, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Sim Racing, and Call of Duty. Six out of those 13 teams are notably based outside of G2's home turf in Europe.
G2.iG Dota 2 roster:
Du "Monet" Peng
Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang
Thiay "JT-" Jun Wen
Ye "BoBoKa" Zhibiao
Yap "xNova" Jian Wei
Su "super" Peng (coach)
Gao "@dogf1ghts" Tianpeng (coach)
For more esports news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooEsportsSEA and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page and Twitter, as well as our Gaming channel on YouTube.
