Cover-Credits:
In preparation for the 2024 competitive season, Team Secret has announced two changes to its Dota 2 roster. Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng has stepped down from the active roster and has been replaced by Singaporean midlane player Teng "Kordan" Tjin Yao. Meanwhile, position four player, Daniyal "yamich" Lazebnyy, has been benched for the foreseeable future and replaced by Polish support player/coach Marcel "Ekki" Hołowienko. The change from Secret is notable considering it only played one tournament with the roster MidOne was a part of after joining in November 2023.
Team Secret bench MidOne and yamich to make way for two young players
With MidOne and yamich joining Yazied “YapzOr” Jaradat on Team Secret’s inactive list, the active lineup is a predominantly young lineup led by Clement "Puppey" Ivanov.
Remco “Crystallis” Arets
Teng “Kordan” Tjin Yao
Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan
Marcel “Ekki” Hołowienko
Clement “Puppey” Ivanov
Tue “ah fu” Soon Chuan (coach)
In his second stint with Secret, MidOne only stays for two months before stepping down. He was a member of the squad in ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, where they qualified despite being the underdogs and finished 7th-8th.
Meanwhile, yamich is now inactive after competing with Team Secret throughout the 2023 season. It was a challenging season for both the team and the player as they did not play at their optimal levels.
Kordan and Ekki, both young professionals with limited experience, take their places. Kordan gained a reputation for himself last season after getting recruited into a star-studded Bleed Esports squad, but the team did not perform well except for a single DPC Tour when it qualified for the Bali Major.
Ekki, despite his relatively young age, has already served as a coach and assistant coach for teams such as The Cut, TSM, and Secret. Now, he embarks on a new journey by joining his first tier one lineup as a player following several stand-in stints in the role of a support player.
It is interesting to note that during ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, Puppey had cited MidOne and ah fu’s unique playstyle and ideas as a reason for getting on a team with them. Having played together for just one tournament, they are now parting ways. At the same time, it remains to be seen if MidOne or yamich return to the active roster after BetBoom Dacha since they are inactive and have not left the organization.
From 11th Jan 2023, Team Secret will compete in the BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024: WEU Closed Qualifier with its new lineup. The eight team qualifier is set to be highly competitive, featuring names such as OG, Entity, Tundra Esports, and others, all vying for a single spot in the main event.
