Cover-Credits:
Following the conclusion of ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, Azure Ray saw a major roster change. Three of its players — Guo "Xm" Hongcheng, Lin "Xxs" Jing, and Zhao "XinQ" Zixing — transferred to Xtreme Gaming. As a result, the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 champion team was notably lacking three players and needed replacements.
English Dota 2 commentator Benjamin "Bkop" Kopilow recently took to X to confirm the new Azure Ray roster. According to Bkop, the three new players for Azure Ray reportedly are Zeng "Ori" Jiaoyang, Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida, and Xu "fy" Linsen.
Notably, in an earlier statement, Lin "planet" Hao, who is currently on the inactive roster of LGD Gaming, reportedly said that Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida and Xu "fy" Linsen would be joining Azure Ray while stating the mid laner was a streamer.
Azure Ray’s Roster Allegedly Complete
On 30th December, English Dota 2 commentator Bkop tweeted that the new Azure Ray roster was complete and laid out the rumored five-man team in front the community.
According to Bkop, the roster is as follows:
Lou "Lou" Zhen
Zeng "Ori" Jiaoyang
Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida
Xu "fy" Linsen
Jiang "天命" An
Bkop added, "What a time to be alive for CN [China] Dota," implying that Azure Ray is a powerhouse team.
Earlier, rumors speculated planet as the new position four support for Azure Ray but he later dismissed it and revealed that Faith_bian, who retired last year, would be making a comeback to join Azure Ray as the new offlaner. Interestingly, during a live stream, fy confirmed that he was joining the ranks of Azure Ray.
Because there was no name for a potential mid-laner, fans speculated that either Lu "Somnus" Yao or Zhang "Paparazi" Chengjun would be the new mid-laner. However, Paparazi later dismissed these rumors and denied any possibility of his comeback.
Notably, just last week, Xtreme Gaming player Zhao "XinQ" Zixing reportedly said, “Even though we never talked about it in public, everyone involved in it all knows that we will make this change after ESL One Kuala Lumpur [2023].”
Notably, on 22nd December, Bkop also tweeted Xtreme Gaming’s roster which was accurate when the organization announced its Dota 2 team. This seemingly gives Bkop credibility as a good source for these unofficial roster changes that are yet to be announced.
According to CN Dota In A Nutshell, fy reportedly noted that Azure Ray could confirm its roster on 31st December. As per the translation, fy said, "I think they will announce their roster on 31st of December. AR’s owner said that was supposed to be his new year gift to all the fans, but I have already exposed everything about them."
However, fans should take these speculations and rumors with a pinch of salt until the organization makes the roster official.
