Cover-Credits:
With the announcement of Bleed Esports' new offlaner, the squad's roster has now been finalized ahead of the Elite League: Southeast Asia (SEA) Closed Qualifier. As revealed through the organization’s social media accounts, Malaysian player Nicholas "zeal" Lim, who has played for teams such as EHOME and PSG.LGD, will serve as Bleed's new offlaner. Zeal joins the squad to fill the void left by Natthaphon "Masaros" Ouanphakdee, who parted ways with the team a few weeks back.
Bleed Esports adds zeal in the offlane ahead of Elite League qualifiers
“Join us in extending a warm welcome to Zeal, our latest addition to complete the roster! Welcome to the frontline, Zeal,” Bleed wrote on Twitter.
The following players are on Bleed Esports' Dota 2 roster for the Elite qualifiers:
Souliya “JaCkky” Khoomphetsavong
Rafli “Mikoto” Fathur Rahman
Nicholas “zeal” Lim Eng Han
Djardel “DJ” Jicko B. Mampusti
Wilson “poloson” Koh Chin Wei
Zeal has tried his hand with many teams since leaving Invictus Gaming in November 2023, but this is his first time joining a more structured team environment. In previous stints, the player had significant experience with EHOME in 2022 and briefly with PSG.LGD last year.
Zeal did play as a stand-in for Bleed at the RES Regional Series: SEA #1, which took place in February 2024. After a middling showing in the group stage, the squad was ousted in the first round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Bleed has become a multi-regional squad within SEA with its current lineup, with all five players hailing from different countries of the region. This kind of arrangement is uncharacteristic of the region, so it will be interesting to see how the synergy levels develop for the team.
So far in 2024, the organization has been unsuccessful in qualifying for top tournaments, a pattern that was also evident last year.
However, the team's focus will be on the Elite League qualifier now, which is expected to be fiercely contested given the competitiveness and unpredictability showcased by almost all teams in the region in recent years. Bleed Esports will begin its campaign on 14th March 2023 against IHC Esports, the same team that eliminated them from RES Regional Series: SEA #1.
