Malaysia's MidOne steps in for Team Liquid at BLAST Slam VIII as Nisha takes a break

Malaysian Dota 2 fans have a fresh reason to follow the first Tier 1 event of the 2026–27 season. Yeik Nai Zheng, better known as MidOne, will play the mid lane for Team Liquid at BLAST Slam VIII, filling in for Michał "Nisha" Jankowski, who is taking a break from competitive play.

How the news broke

The change first surfaced on 25 September, when MidOne's name appeared on BLAST's official participant list before Team Liquid had said anything publicly, according to Win.gg and Esports Insider. Liquid confirmed Nisha's exit on 28 September with a short farewell message: "A legend. A champion. A friend. Today we say thank you to Nisha as he is taking a break from competitive play."

GosuGamers describes MidOne as a stand-in for this event and notes that Liquid have not yet named a permanent replacement. Escorenews reports that the club could look at Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak for the long term, but that remains a report rather than a confirmed signing.

Who is MidOne?

For Malaysian readers, MidOne needs little introduction. He is one of the country's best-known Dota 2 exports, and his CV is a strong one:

• Age: 30 this year
• Past teams: Fnatic, Team Secret and, most recently, MOUZ
• Titles: two Major titles and several appearances at The International, with more than US$2 million in career prize money (Win.gg, Esports Insider)
• Recent form: won PGL Wallachia Season 6 with MOUZ, beating Team Spirit, although that squad missed The International 2026 after falling in the closed qualifiers

Nisha's legacy at Liquid

Nisha joined Team Liquid from Team Secret in December 2022 and leaves after almost four years. His biggest moment was winning The International 2024. GosuGamers credits him with six Tier 1 titles in Liquid colours, including PGL Wallachia Seasons 3 and 4, BLAST Slam 6 and 1win Essence II. Reports put his win rate at about 59% across roughly 1,150 professional games.

A reshaped Liquid line-up

MidOne is not the only new face. Liquid have also swapped their offlaner, bringing in Adrian "Wisper" Cespedes Dobles in place of Marcus "Ace" Hölgaard. GosuGamers points out that Ace and support Erik "tOfu" Engel had been lane partners for five years, so the team has two big adjustments to make at once.

Team Liquid's registered roster for BLAST Slam VIII:

1. Michael "m1CKe" Vu – carry
2. Yeik Nai Zheng "MidOne" – mid (stand-in)
3. Adrian "Wisper" Cespedes Dobles – offlane
4. Samuel "Boxi" Svahn – support
5. Erik "tOfu" Engel – support
6. William "Blitz" Lee – coach

What's at stake in Malta

BLAST Slam VIII carries a US$750,000 prize pool, with US$270,000 for the champions. The online group stage runs from 29 September to 2 October, and the LAN finals take place at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta from 8 to 11 October, according to Hawk Live.

Liquid are in Group D with Aurora Gaming, GamerLegion and Yakult Brothers. Hawk Live lists the groups as four-team GSL brackets played in best-of-three series: group winners move on to the seeding matches, while second-placed teams drop into a last-chance stage.

Matches stream on BLAST's Dota channels on YouTube, Twitch and Kick.

Key takeaways

• Malaysia's MidOne plays mid for Team Liquid at BLAST Slam VIII as a stand-in.
• Nisha is taking a break from competitive play after almost four years and a TI 2024 title with Liquid.
• Liquid have also brought in Wisper at offlane, so two of the five roles have changed.
• The group stage runs from 29 September to 2 October, with LAN playoffs in Malta from 8 to 11 October.

FAQ

Is MidOne joining Team Liquid permanently? Not as things stand. GosuGamers reports that he is a stand-in for BLAST Slam VIII and that Liquid have yet to announce a permanent mid laner.

Why did Nisha leave? Team Liquid said only that he is taking a break from competitive play. No further reason was given.

Which group are Liquid in? Group D, with Aurora Gaming, GamerLegion and Yakult Brothers.

Sources: Escorenews, GosuGamers, Win.gg, Esports Insider, Esports.gg, Hawk Live