XinQ Hesitates on Competitive Dota 2 Comeback

Chinese Dota 2 star Zhao “XinQ” Zixing, a celebrated position four player known for his achievements over the past three years, has been absent from the competitive scene for four months. Although fans are eager to see the dynamic player back in action, XinQ appears in no rush to resume his professional career. He expressed reluctance to return to competitive play without his former lane partner from PSG.LGD, Zhao “Faith_bian” Ruida. Additionally, having secured second place at The International (TI) in 2021, XinQ admits that reaching the pinnacle once more and finding suitable teammates for such a journey is a challenging task.

XinQ’s statements about his potential return to professional play were shared on Twitter by CN Dota In A Nutshell (@Tr1H4rd3rDota2), a frequent source for insights from Chinese players. XinQ cited Faith_bian’s departure from the game as a significant factor influencing his decision not to return, while also acknowledging that his best opportunity to win TI has likely passed.

The 2021 PSG.LGD roster was among the most formidable in professional Dota 2 history, making them a clear favorite for TI10. After dominating the group stage and playoffs, the team reached the grand final but ultimately fell 3-2 to a determined Team Spirit that had battled through the lower bracket.

XinQ emphasized the importance of finding teammates with shared objectives and highlighted the critical role of synchronization between players for a successful Dota 2 team. He insisted that simply assembling top players is insufficient for creating a winning team.

During his time at PSG.LGD from 2020 to 2022, XinQ claimed several tournament victories, most notably the Riyadh Masters 2022 and the WePlay AniMajor. A highly adaptable player, he was known for his ability to locate and eliminate enemy carries early in matches, either independently or with the help of a midlaner.

From the PSG.LGD roster, carry Wang “Ame” Chunyu and offlaner Faith_bian, along with XinQ, have not competed since TI11. Faith_bian announced his retirement shortly after TI11, and both Ame and XinQ have shown little interest in returning to the competitive scene. For now, both players seem content with livestreaming.