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Dota 2: Iceiceice returns to SEA, joins Team SMG for TI11 qualifiers

Team SMG's Dota 2 team has been reinforced by Singaporean players iceiceice and poloson for the upcoming Southeast Asian qualifiers for The International 11. (Photo: Team SMG)
Team SMG's Dota 2 team has been reinforced by Singaporean players iceiceice and poloson for the upcoming Southeast Asian qualifiers for The International 11. (Photo: Team SMG)
  • Team SMG sign Singaporean players Daryl "iceiceice" Koh Pei Xiang and Wilson "poloson" Koh for the upcoming SEA qualifiers for TI11

  • The two new players will replace Ryan "Raging Potato" Qui and Johan "pieliedie" Åström

  • The revamped Team SMG Dota 2 roster will make their debut in GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Thailand 2022 later this month

Malaysia-based organisation Team SMG announced on Friday (12 August) that they have signed star Singaporean players Daryl "iceiceice" Koh Pei Xiang and Wilson "poloson" Koh to complete their roster for the upcoming The International 11 (TI11) regional qualifiers.

Iceiceice and poloson will be replacing Ryan "Raging Potato" Qui and Johan "pieliedie" Åström, who were let go by Team SMG on Wednesday (10 August).

Iceiceice's move to Team SMG marks his return to competing in Southeast Asia after almost two years of playing in the West.

The Singaporean offlaner left his home region to join North American organisation Evil Geniuses (EG) in November 2020. After spending a year with EG, iceiceice moved to Western Europe to join Team Secret in November 2021.

Team Secret's underwhelming showing throughout the 2021-2022 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season prompted iceiceice to leave the Western European team earlier this month.

Meanwhile, poloson joins Team SMG after spending much of the past two seasons with Nigma Galaxy SEA and Ybb Gaming.

Second roster shuffle of the year for SMG

With the DPC season effectively over and the top 12 teams invited to TI11 already determined, all eyes are on the upcoming regional qualifiers.

While most teams will stick together for their regional qualifiers, some teams have already made changes in search of greener pastures.

During the 2021-2022 DPC season, Team SMG have had a different roster for each of the three Tours.

Originally, the team started the season with Roger "Roddgeee" Tan Boon Thye as their Position 5 support. After placing fourth in the first Tour, Roddgee was let go and replaced by Michael "ninjaboogie" Ross Jr.

During the second Tour, Team SMG placed sixth and decided that adjustments needed to be made, with ninjaboogie being released from the team under controversial circumstances.

Team SMG claimed that Michael had anger issues while ninjaboogie stated that his forceful departure was due to the team's concern over his performance while his mother was sick.

After Ninjaboogie's departure, the team needed to find another hard support and settled on pieliedie.

Pieliedie first joined competitive Dota 2 scene with Kaipi in 2012 and went on long stints with esteemed organisations such as Fnatic and Team Secret, with whom he won the Shanghai Major in 2016.

Unfortunately for the team, they placed sixth yet again in the third Tour and this time SMG made deeper cuts to the team, replacing both their offlaner and hard support.

Raging Potato hasn't made his feelings about his departure clear, but pieliedie admitted he is "kinda salty about it".

The new Team SMG roster with iceiceice and poloson will make their debut in the GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Thailand 2022 from 18 to 20 August, where they were one of the eight invited teams.

It is pivotal for Team SMG to do well in Thailand, as it is the only tournament they will play before they join the Southeast Asian qualifier for TI11.

Not only will GAMERS GALAXY provide vital experience for Team SMG's revamped roster, it will also feature six other teams who will compete in the TI11 qualifiers. With so much on the line, it will be fascinating to see how the new Team SMG performs in the upcoming few weeks.

Team SMG Dota 2 roster:

1. Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng

2. Kam "Moon" Boon Seng

3. Daryl "iceiceice" Koh Pei Xiang

4. Tue "ah fu" Soon Chuan

5. Wilson "poloson" Koh

Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.

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