Where Mushi Go??

The most prominent Dota 2 player in Malaysia has left his long-time team. What's next for Mushi?

In a surprising and unforeseen announcement, Yee Fung ‘Mushi’ Chai – which many consider as an icon in Fnatic, as Danil ‘Dendi’ Ishutin is to Na’Vi – revealed that the seasoned player will be hanging up the Fnatic jersey and leaving the organization. As the South East Asian region is growing extremely competitive, taking a break now can be both detrimental and beneficial for him. While Mushi states that he is still unsure of his future plans, here are a few routes where we think he will likely take.

Back to China

A move to the mainland seems to be the most predictable path for Mushi, who has played major roles in premier Chinese teams like Team DK and EHOME. The region itself is just as competitive as South East Asia, but China is where experience is highly valued – and Mushi has no shortage of it. The language barrier which deters most players from training in the region is not a problem for Mushi, not to mention his network of contacts there.

The talent pool in China is also considerably larger than South East Asia, which will be one of the primary reasons for him to consider a move out of the region. Free agents such as Feichi ‘Ferrari_430’ Luo and Hock Chuan ‘ChuaN’ Wong are likely allies for Mushi to consider teaming up with, along with some of the fresher blood in the Chinese scene. All in all, China seems to be the natural route for Mushi to grow towards, and few would find a better place to grow anywhere else.

Putting his experience and skills to use

Age may be a factor to consider for Mushi, who is turning 27 at the end of the year. In a game that heavily relies on reflex and speed in decision making, Mushi may find his years catching up to him as the majority of competing players are still in their early 20s. However, he has the experience of playing and leading a team, both traits that makes him extremely valuable as a coach.

Coaches are becoming more valuable in the scene, where many players have taken temporary or permanent roles as a coach in various teams such as Evil Geniuses, Complexity, Cloud9 and Alliance. Most teams with coaches attributes part of their success to the directions and insights provided by the eagle-eyed position of their coach. Despite Mushi not having any coaching experience, we have seen his leadership skills within Fnatic and in his previous teams, and are confident that he can assimilate into the role without any trouble.