The struggles of PSG.LGD

Despite being the highest-ranked Dota 2 team in the world, PSG.LGD is currently struggling to avoid being relegated to China’s Division 2.

It seems that the roster moves that have occurred in the region this season have changed the pecking order significantly, and Wang “Ame” Chunyu’s team has been caught off-guard.

DPC Tour 3 partial results

With only a few more matches left to be played until the end of Tour 3 of the ongoing Dota Pro Circuit, the situation in the Chinese region looks very unusual.

• Royal Never Give Up: 4 W – 1 L
• Team Aster: 4 W – 2 L
• Xtreme Gaming: 4 W – 2 L
• Aries: 3 W – 3 L
• Vici Gaming: 3 W – 3 L
• LGD: 2 W – 3 L
• Dandelion Esport Club: 1 W – 4 L
• EHOME: 1 W – 4 L

It’s unlikely that PSG.LGD will relegate, but the danger certainly exists. One of their last two matches will be against RNG, so the odds of success are quite low. PSG.LGD will need to win against Aster on July 15 to guarantee themselves a spot in Division I for next season.

PSG.LGD’s decline

PSG.LGD seem to have lost their way in the last few months and it’s not entirely clear why. What’s clear is that the team who played in the Grand Final of The International 2018 and 2021, and who also happens to be leading in the DPC rankings table, is now struggling even against the likes of Dandelion Esport Club.

The teams that are currently in the top three in China have acquired exceptional players either ahead or during this season. Xtreme Gaming, for example, has brought in Zhang “Paparazi” Chengjun, who is probably the best position 1 / 2 player in Dota 2.

In RNG’s case, the roster is absolutely impressive. Lu “Somnus” Yao and Hu “kaka” Liangzhi are both highly accomplished players who came close to winning The International more than once.

When we look at Aster, we immediately see players like Du “Monet” Peng, who obtained excellent results at multiple regional and international tournaments.

With all these strong competitors in their division, PSG.LGD cannot afford to play poorly or train casually. Their spot at The International 2022 is guaranteed at this point, but that doesn’t mean they can’t relegate.

We’ve already seen what happened in similar situations to world-class competitors like Nigma Galaxy. Except in Nigma’s case, the team belongs to the players. In China, it’s a completely different situation.

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