Team Tidebound return to Dota 2 after 10 months with xiao8 coaching NothingToSay, Shiro and plAnet
Chinese side Team Tidebound are back in Dota 2 after about 10 months away, with xiao8 as coach and a veteran five built around NothingToSay and Shiro.
Team Tidebound have returned to competitive Dota 2 after about 10 months away. The team announced a veteran Chinese roster on 11 October, with Ning "xiao8" Zhang as coach. They announced it on their official Weibo account. The five-man line-up is made up of players who left other Chinese teams after a difficult The International 2026 for the region.
The new Tidebound roster
- Carry: Xuanang "Shiro" Guo (previously Vici Gaming)
- Mid: Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang (previously Xtreme Gaming)
- Offlane: Haiyang "Yang" Zhou (previously Team Refuser)
- Position 4: Hao "plAnet" Lin (previously Team Resilience)
- Position 5: Yiping "y`" Zhang (previously Vici Gaming)
- Coach: Ning "xiao8" Zhang (previously Xtreme Gaming)
The team has not yet said which tournament will be its first with the new roster.
Built from TI 2026 departures
The roster brings together players who became available after TI 2026. NothingToSay was released by Xtreme Gaming in early September after the team failed to get out of the group stage. xiao8 had left Xtreme Gaming before TI 2026.
plAnet left Team Resilience in late August after they lost in the elimination stage. Yang's former team, Team Refuser, finished fourth in the Chinese regional qualifier and missed TI 2026. Shiro and y` played together at Vici Gaming, so Tidebound start with one support and carry pairing already in place.
Why the names matter in Southeast Asia
Several of these players are well known to Southeast Asian fans. NothingToSay is Malaysian and has spent his career on Chinese teams. He has been one of the best-known mid players from the region for years, so his next move was closely followed after Xtreme Gaming released him.
xiao8 is a long-serving Chinese captain and coach, and he lifted The International trophy as a player in 2014. His return to the bench at Tidebound puts one of China's most experienced Dota 2 figures back in charge of a new team.
Tidebound's last run
Tidebound's previous roster finished seventh to eighth at The International 2025. The organisation then went quiet for most of the past year, before this announcement brought it back with a new line-up.
A crowded Chinese scene in transition
Roster changes are moving quickly after TI 2026. GosuGamers' post-TI tracker also lists LGD Gaming's new five and changes at Team Spirit, Team Liquid, OG and Aurora Gaming in recent weeks. Several Chinese organisations have cut or rebuilt their rosters since TI 2026, so experienced players have been easier to sign than usual. For Tidebound, the next step is to secure invitations or qualifier places for events on the late-2026 calendar, where the new five will get their first chance to show whether the experience pays off.
Key takeaways
- Team Tidebound announced a new Dota 2 roster on 11 October, ending about 10 months of inactivity.
- xiao8 is the coach of a veteran five: Shiro, NothingToSay, Yang, plAnet and y`.
- Every player joined after leaving another team following TI 2026.
- Tidebound's last roster finished seventh to eighth at The International 2025.
- The team has not yet confirmed its first event.
FAQ
Who is on Team Tidebound's new Dota 2 roster? Shiro (carry), NothingToSay (mid), Yang (offlane), plAnet (position 4) and y` (position 5), with xiao8 as coach.
Where did NothingToSay play before Tidebound? Xtreme Gaming, who released him in early September after TI 2026.
When will the new Tidebound roster play? The team has not yet named its first event.
Sources: GosuGamers, Esports Insider, SAYS