Dota 2’s Elephant Adds Super to Roster

Ahead of The International 10 qualifiers, the newly formed Dota 2 team Elephant has announced the signing of Xie “Super” Junhao. The veteran joins the team after two years with Royal Never Give Up, bringing vast experience in the process.

28-year-old Super made his Dota 2 debut back in 2011 for Team DK, having also competed under the banner of Vici Gaming, CDEC Gaming, LGD.Forever Young, Team Green and Team Robot.

Why Elephant Signed Super

Elephant were on the lookout for reinforcements following a run of disappointing results in the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit. The team failed to make it to both Majors, which ultimately led to the departure of Ru “RedPanda” Zhihao.

Elephant won the China Dota 2 Pro Cup S2 shortly after the team was founded. However, early promise quickly faded, with many other teams within the region having leapfrogged them of late. Elephant have not been well received in the region either, having made a number of controversial signings in a bid to form their “all-star” roster.

However, two of the most effect teams, PSG.LGD and Vici Gaming, have seemingly had the last laugh. The duo were powerless as they saw some of their top players make the switch to Elephant. However, they finished third and joint-7th at the ONE Esports Singapore Major, as well as both qualifying for the WePlay AntiMajor. Both PSG.LGD and Vici Gaming also both defeated Elephant during the Chinese Regional League.

Can Super Have a Positive Impact at Elephant?

Elephant has not been able to rely on amassing enough Dota Pro Circuit points in their quest to reach The International 10. As a result, the upcoming qualifier provides them with their final opportunity. However, with just one team from the region being able to qualify via this method, the odds are stacked against Elephant.

The International 10 takes place in August, with the prize pool having grown to $40 million. The pressure is on Super to get the team back to the level they showed early on, however missing out on the event in Sweden would not come as a shock.