Cover-Credits:
The Dota 2 roster of Team Secret went through an unprecedented change with Ludwig "zai" Wåhlber leaving the team, but what came across as even more of a shock was that shortly after his departure, he announced that he would be joining Team Liquid. It is unknown what role he will play in Team Liquid, but Dota 2 analyst/commentator Troels Lyngholt "syndereN" Nielsen explained why zai is a good addition to the group. SyndereN felt that zai, as a player, has been privy to success in the past as opposed to the other members of Team Liquid. SyndereN also highlighted zai's all-around skills and versatility, saying that regardless of his role at Team Liquid he will be a good fit.
Zai will fit into Team Liquid's culture, feels syndereN
Zai left Team Secret after three years and before the community could even speculate as to where he would play next, he shortly announced on Twitter that he would be joining Team Liquid, with the organization also confirming his move soon after.
In his podcast ‘We Say Things’ numbered 126, syndereN explained that along with fitting well into the team's culture, zai also brought with him the reputation of having achieved success in the past. This was important because Team Liquid's current roster has players with potential but little proven track record.
“I think he will fit well into that team culture. I think it’s a big thing for the org to get...to get a superstar player right. I think Liquid’s roster recently, since the Kuro (KuroKy) team, having the ex-Alliance roster picking them up was like - it’s a team with potential but that hasn’t got that big results that they want to nurture. But now they have a true star player in the roster which is obviously really powerful. So, I think it’s a really great grab for them.”
[revelation section begins at 1:06:05]
During his time with Team Secret, Zai won three Majors, namely the Chongqing Major, the MDL Disneyland Paris Major, and DreamLeague Season 13. Additionally, he finished fourth and third at The International 9 (TI9) and TI10, respectively.
Zai has played as a Dota 2 offlaner for years, but it is not yet known whether he has joined Team Liquid in the same role. SyndereN said that no matter what role he takes up, the abundance of skills he brings to Team Liquid makes him an ideal candidate.
“I think zai is going to be a good fit because in my opinion, if I were to build my dream team, he would probably be in it just because, to me he is like the almost perfect player for a team. He has a great personality, he is very very skilled, he can play multiple different styles, different roles, and has very good game understanding. So I think that’s a huge pickup no matter what role you put him on honestly.”
His co-host, Shannon "SUNSfan" Scotten, also agreed with syndereN.
Zai's entry into Team Liquid means that the Dota 2 squad has six players and it remains to be seen who will have to make way for him. The team is restructuring for the upcoming Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2021-22.
