The player wished to part ways and focus on personal development.
After failing to qualify for The International 10, Jian Wei "xNova" Yap has decided not to continue with EHOME. The 23-year-old Dota 2 veteran is now a free agent and will be one most sought after player in the upcoming DPC season. EHOME ‘s Dota 2 division will also go inactive temporarily, the organization announced.
From now on, EHOME Dota2 player xNova, due to the expiry of the contract period, has officially left the team. He is now a free agent.
EHOME said it respects the player's wish to leave the team and focus on his personal development. The position 5 player was part of the famous PSG.LGD squad (runners-up TI8 and 3rd place TI9) before joining EHOME last year.
A disappointing season for EHOME and xNova
A major roster shuffle last year saw PSG.LGD and EHOME swap several players. It was a surprise for several Dota 2 fans at the time. However, a long post-TI9 break and a new patch saw internal conflicts within the PSG.LGD team. The decision to implement a roster change was sudden but a necessary one according to the position 5 player.
EHOME had decent results in 2020, but the team’s performance so far in DPC 2021 has been disappointing. Finishing sixth in both the DPC seasons, EHOME fell short of expectations. The team would struggle against other Chinese opponents such as PSG.LGD, Vici Gaming and Invictus Gaming. The team's failure to mount a challenge in the season was probably a big reason for xNova's decision.
What’s next for EHOME?
Dota 2 player contracts usually revolve around The International. This year, Valve had to postpone the mega-event due after Swedish Sports Federation voted against classifying esports into the sports federation. Valve's request to reclassify The International as an elite sporting event was also quickly turned down. The lack of this classification would potentially cause visa approval problems for Dota 2 players who hail from all over the world. The International 10 will now take place at the Arena Naţională, Bucharest from October 7-21, 2021.
Dota 2 fans should expect some EHOME roster news soon after the International. There are five Chinese teams at this year’s International - Vici Gaming, PSG.LGD, Elephant, Team Aster and Invictus Gaming. Invictus Gaming won the ONE Esports Singapore Major while PSG.LGD won the WePlay Animajor.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Dota 2 news and updates.
