Dota 2 roster changes: How team lineups have altered after ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023
Author: Hawk Live LLC
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Despite the cancellation of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC), which provided more opportunities for transfers for both teams and Dota 2 players, ESL has implemented its own rules. If rosters change immediately after The International 2023, the most unimaginable way, the announcement of the formation of the EPT point ranking sharply reduced the number of transfers.
This is because replacing more than three players will cause the team to lose all earned EPT points, meaning they will lose the chance to receive a direct invitation to one of the biggest Dota 2 tournaments of the year – Riyadh Master or Esports World Cup. However, some teams are not deterred, and after ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, there were still some important changes among the top teams.
Azure Ray
The new champions of ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, 
Azure Ray, sparked the most interest. They became the first Chinese team to win a major Dota 2 tournament. Moreover, they now lead the ESL ranking in terms of EPT points. This fact may disrupt the initial plans for the roster.
There were rumors that after the tournament, the roster planned to undergo significant changes. Players Go "Xm" Hunchen, Zhao "XinQ" Zysin, and Lin "Xxs" Jin were allegedly supposed to join the star-studded lineup of 
Xtreme Gaming, where Dota 2 legend Wang "Ame" Chunyu returned. However, it is now unlikely that such a thing will happen, as the team would lose EPT points and miss a direct invitation to DreamLeague Season 22.
Azure Ray Roster:
Lou "lou" Zheng
Go "Xm" Hunchen
Lin "Xxs" Jin
Zhao "XinQ" Zysin
Jiang "Destiny" An
9Pandas
One of the most discussed teams became 
9 Pandas. After a shameful exit from ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, the lineup practically fell apart. First, it was officially announced that Matvey "MieRo" Vasyunin was leaving, reportedly forming his own team. The next big news was Roman "RAMZES666" Kushnarev, who also left the lineup after the tournament.
It is worth noting that Andrei "Afoninje" Afonin's future is still uncertain. During the tournament, he mentioned that he might leave 9 Pandas if the team finished last, which happened. Who will replace the departing players is still unknown, but the club announced that negotiations are already underway.
9Pandas Roster:
Alik "V-Tune" Vorobey
Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyrjanov
TBD
Andrei "Afoninje" Afonin (under question)
Alexey "Solo" Berezin
Tundra Esports
One of the surprises of ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 was the sudden transformation of TSM into the new 
Tundra Esports lineup. Although the team showed not the worst results, the future of the roster is quite uncertain, especially considering insights from Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov. He hinted that the new lineup might be disbanded if it does not show the required results in upcoming tournaments.
Tundra Esports Roster:
Enzo "Timado" Gianoli
Jonathan "bryle-" Santos de Guia
Ilyas "kasane" Gainullin
Alexander "Immersion" Khmelevskoy
Matthew "Whitemon" Filmon
David "MoonMeander" Tan
Wawitas Sagazes
The newcomers 
Wawitas Sagazes who managed to break through the regional qualifiers for ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023. They were not expected to achieve high results, and predictably, the team, along with 9 Pandas, was among the first to be eliminated.
As it turns out, the lineup was specifically assembled for this tournament, and after its completion, the players decided to disband the team.
Wawitas Sagazes Roster:
Eduard "Lumière" Valencia
Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera
Oscar "Oscar" Jimenez
Rodrigo "n1ght" Cruz
Jose "Panda" Padilla
Team Liquid
Team Liquid showcased excellent gameplay at ESL One Kuala Lumpur, making it to the top three teams of the tournament. They did not have official replacements after the competition, but they played with Jonas 'SabeRLighT-' Volek from 
Shopify Rebellion as a stand-in.
In the new Dota 2 season, they will play with Neta "33" Shapira, who joined them from Tundra Esports as an offlaner but couldn't attend ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 due to visa issues.
Team Liquid Roster:
Michael "miCKe" Vu
Michał "Nisha" Jankowski
Neta "33" Shapira
Samuel "Boxi" Svahn
Aydin "iNSaNiA" Sarkohi
It's worth reminding that the top four teams with the most EPT points will receive direct invites to major ESL Dota 2 tournaments without the need for qualifiers. 
Team Spirit ended up in fifth place, so they will have to start the next year with regional qualifiers.
