Lu “Somnus” Yao's new Chinese superteam has finally taken shape, with Zhang "LaNm" Zhicheng joining the new team as its coach.
Zhang "LaNm" Zhicheng joins Azure Ray
That's according to CN Dota in a Nutshell, who revealed that LaNm has joined Somnus's new team YBB - now known as Azure Ray.
The news of Somnus' return, and the new Chinese superteam, emerged earlier this week - When a Valve Dota 2 roster registration page listed Somnus as playing for a new team, alongside his former teammates Xu “fy” Linsen and Yang “Chalice” Shenyi.
While the return of such a legendary player like Somnus was exciting enough, fans were further delighted by the talent this new team was attracting - with Somnus reuniting with some of the players that helped him dominate the Dota 2 scene in his prime.
And the appointment of LaNm is only going to further excite Chinese Dota 2 fans, with the coach having a prestigious career both as a player and a coach. LaNm got his start in professional Dota 2 way back in 2011, when he was part of the EHOME roster - a team he has returned to repeatedly throughout his career.
As a player, LaNm attended The International a total of nine times for various teams - including the likes of Royal Never Give Up, Vici Gaming and Team DK.
While LaNm spent some years alternating between being a player and a coach, he ultimately went into full-time coaching in 2019, when he joined the Keen Gaming lineup. Since then, he has helped the likes of Team Aster achieve a top-four finish at the Singapore Major, before joining Xtreme Gaming in time for the Berlin Major earlier this year.
With the addition of LaNm, the Azure Ray roster consists of Lou "Lou" Zhen, Lu "Somnus" Yao, Yang "Chalice" Shenyi, Xu "fy" Linsen, Jiang "天命" An and coach Zhang "LaNm" Zhicheng.
CN Dota in a Nutshell's report claims that the players have joined the team without a salary - with the expectation being that the team's continued existence is reliant on their qualification for (and performance at) The International this year.
And you'll be able to track the progress of this new Chinese superteam here on Luckbox - just remember to sign up before jumping in to our Dota 2 match schedule.
