Dota 2’s The International 2023 has come to an end, and Team Liquid is already making changes to their roster in the Western European region. Veteran offlaner Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg has officially announced his departure from the team.
Zai had hinted at the possibility of taking a break during Liquid’s exit interview at TI 2023, and he has now confirmed his plans on Instagram. In his post, he bid farewell to his fans and stated that he will be taking an indefinite break going forward.
While Liquid has not yet announced their new player, their coach William “Blitz” Lee has revealed that the decision has been made. Speculation has been circulating that Kim “Gabbi” Santos, who has been playing for Entity in Europe since July, could be the replacement for Zai.
Despite not winning any titles in 2023, Liquid was one of the highest-earning teams, securing $3.2 million in prize money. They achieved a respectable top-six finish at TI 2023, but it seems that Zai’s retirement decision was not swayed by this accomplishment.
During Liquid’s TI 2023 run, Zai’s former captain at Team Secret, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, revealed that Zai had planned this break due to stress. Puppey mentioned that Zai’s responsibilities at Liquid had increased after the departure of MATUMBAMAN, while others on the team had less responsibility.
Overall, Zai’s departure marks the beginning of the roster shuffle season in the Western European region, and Team Liquid will now be on the lookout for a new player to fill their offlane position.
Source: DOTESPORTS
