After another extended period of inactivity, Chinese star mid laner Somnus returns to pro play once again in a bid to qualify for TI 2025.
Yao “Somnus丶M” Lu, also known as Maybe, is once again returning to competitive Dota 2 for his annual run at The International (TI), the game's world championship tournament. He rejoins his former team, 
Azure Ray, and assembled a star-studded stack to compete in the TI 2025 Chinese regional qualifiers starting 2 June.
For the past three years, Somnus has alternated between stepping away from and returning to the Dota 2 competitive scene. He spent most of his time creating content on the Chinese live-streaming platform Douyu, but consistently makes a comeback for TI.
In 2023, Somnus joined Azure Ray for the China qualifiers, with the squad defeating top teams such as 
Team Aster, 
Invictus Gaming, and 
Xtreme Gaming despite the team being a last-minute roster. He went on to achieve an impressive 4th place finish at TI 2023, vastly exceeding expectations.
The following year, Somnus once again returned during qualifier season, competing under the 
TEAM TURTLE banner alongside other notable regional players like Shenyi “Chalice” Yang and Haiyang “Yang” Zhou. Although they advanced through the open qualifier, they ultimately fell short.
Now, in 2025, Somnus makes his signature return to attempt qualification for TI 2025. He joins Du “Monet” Peng, 
Jun Wen “JT-” Thiay, Jiahan “Pyw” Xiong, and Jian Wei “xNova-” Yap to represent Azure Ray. The team will have to start their qualifier run for TI 2025 in the Chinese open qualifiers, which kick off on 2 June.
In a video posted on his official Bilibili channel, Somnus said he was initially hesitant to join but was persuaded by Pyw to commit to the campaign.
Prominent carry player Monet last played for G2.iG before the team disbanded in October of last year. JT- and Pyw, who most recently played for 
Yakult Brothers, join the team as the offlaner and position four support, respectively. Meanwhile, xNova marks his return to the Chinese scene after an underwhelming stint with 
OG earlier this season.
Another run with Azure Ray
Azure Ray’s newly formed lineup looks formidable on paper, but they will face equally strong competition in the closed qualifiers - Xtreme Gaming and Yakult Brothers, both of whom have been more active on the global stage recently.
TI 2025's Chinese regional qualifier kick off with the first open qualifier from 2 to 3 June, followed immediately by the second from June 4 to 5. Three teams from each open qualifier will join the directly-invited Xtreme Gaming and Yakult Brothers in the closed qualifier, which will run from 9 to 12 June.
Ultimately, only one team from the China qualifiers will secure a coveted spot at TI 2025, joining fellow Chinese squad 
All Gamers Global, formerly known as 
Team Tidebound, who have already received a direct invite to the world championship.
Azure Ray Dota 2 roster:
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