EN DE CN BR ES RU
Image
Icon

Dota 2 – Zai Signs for Team Liquid After Team Secret Departure

Having left Team Secret after three years, Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg has wasted little time in finding a new home,... | 4. November 2021

Having left Team Secret after three years, Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg has wasted little time in finding a new home, with the Swedish veteran having joined Team Liquid. The two announcements came just hours apart, with Secret having stated that the 24-year-old had departed “on the best of terms”.

Speaking on his decision Zai stated that he will “have to say goodbye to Team Secret one more time as I head in a new direction”. Secret ended The International 10 in third place, the org’s best result at the event to date. Offlaner zai had been competing for Secret since January 2015, before leaving just months later following TI 5.

Why Zai Will Go Down as One of Secret’s All-Time Best Players

Having played for Kaipi, Evil Geniuses, The Dire and OpTic Gaming in the meantime, Zai returned to Secret in September 2018. Secret posted the following message upon Zai’s departure being announced: “[Zai] has been without a doubt one of the most critical elements to our incredible success these past seasons. We will forever be grateful for his positive spirit, constant professionalism, and embodiment of what it means to be a true teammate.”

During his second spell with Secret, Zai proved his worth time and again. The team was dominant in the Dota Pro Circuit, with the org having won three Majors, as well as finishing 3rd at The International 10 and 4th at The International 9. They also won eight consecutive events online between May-September 2020.

Adding his to his thoughts, Zai stated: “I’d like to thank my teammates and coach for making these past three years some of the best years I’ve had playing [Dota 2]. I’ve not only learnt a lot from all the players on this squad, but I’ve also had a blast interacting with everyone day-to-day. We had some amazing games and tournament runs and I’m very proud of our accomplishments together.”

What the Future Holds for Liquid, Secret & the DPC?

Team Liquid broke the news of Zai’s arrival shortly after, with the Swede becoming the sixth member of the organization’s roster. As a result, it is expected that further roster changes will be announced in the near future. Liquid becomes the first team that finished in the top eight positions at The International 10 to reshuffle its pack. The likes of Alliance, Fnatic, SG Esports and Thunder Predator have all made changes, after they were eliminated from the tournament early.

With the next DPC predicted to start in December, Liquid and other teams still have time to finalize their rosters. Valve has yet to announce the official start date, with Team Secret’s roster currently being made up by Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen, Michal “Nisha” Jankowski, Yazied “YapzOr” Jaradat and Clement “Puppey” Ivanov. Lee “Heen” Seung Gon remains as their coach.