It seems that the legendary Dota 2 player Lu "Somnus" Yao is set to come out of retirement, and will be playing under the Ybb Gaming banner.
Lu "Somnus" Yao to come out of retirement
That's according to CN Dota In A Nutshell, who spotted that Valve’s Dota 2 roster registration page listed Somnus (also known as Maybe) as playing for Ybb Gaming, alongside his former teammates Xu “fy” Linsen and Yang “Chalice” Shenyi.
Somnus announced his retirement from professional Dota 2 play back in October 2022, following his then-team's Royal Never Give Up's disappointing 13th - 16th placement at The International 2022.
His retirement perhaps should have been expected, given that he had suffered a terrible year - having been hospitalised with COVID-19, which forced Royal Never Give Up to forfeit their match against PSG.LGD at The International.
However short-lived his retirement may turn out to be, his return to the Dota 2 scene is bound to delight fans - particularly in his home country of China. The player quickly earned himself as one of the most beloved players in Dota 2, with Somnus first making a name for himself in 2014 when he was part of the LGD Gaming roster. It was with LGD that he made his International debut, earning an impressive 5th - 6th place result at The International 2014.
He would stay with the organisation for the next five years, with the team gradually becoming legendary on the Dota 2 scene, finishing at The International 2018 in 2nd place, and The International 2019 in 3rd.
Somnus has previously hinted at a return to Dota 2, teasing late last year that he had been inspired by Lionel Messi's performance at the 2022 World Cup.
“Seeing Messi win the championship is inspirational and touching,” said Somnus in a post on the Chinese social media website Weibo. “Messi only fulfilled his dream at the age of 35, and after watching Messi, I do want to return to competing.”
Somnus' return is exciting enough - and fans are only going to be more excited to see him reunite with his former teammates Chalice and fy. Should it come to pass, you'll be able to see Somnus competing again right here on Luckbox - just click here to watch Dota 2 live via our Dota 2 match schedule, but remember to first claim your free account!
