Lu "Somnus" Yao has officially confirmed his return to the scene under the Azure Ray tag with a new roster. Joining him are Monet , JT-, Pyw , and xNova — players he has previously crossed paths with on the professional scene. The team will participate in the Chinese open qualifiers for The International 2025, starting on June 2.
There were earlier discussions in the community about a possible disbandment of Xtreme Gaming and a potential reunion of Somnus with Ame . However, the player chose a different path — he formed a roster with former teammates. According to Somnus, he was hesitant about returning to competitive play, but it was Pyw who convinced him of the new team's potential.
In 2023, Somnus, as part of Azure Ray , placed 4th at The International 2023 and won ESL One Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, he and xNova had previously played for PSG.LGD, where they finished second at TI 2018 and third at TI 2019. The other team members also bring experience from the tier-1 scene.
Participation in the China Open Qualifier will be the team's first step on the path to The International 2025. The team can aim for a high result thanks to the experience and synergy of its members.
Azure Ray Roster:
Peng " Monet " Du
Yao "Somnus" Lu
Jun Wen "JT-" Thai
Jiaheng " Pyw " Xiong
Jian Wei " xNova " Yap
