Team Zero, China’s second seed team in The International 2024 (TI13), has been eliminated. The team fell to Eastern European representative 1w Team in the lower bracket on Sep. 9 in a 2-0 defeat.
In Game One, Zero struggled against the impressive power of Aleksandr “Cloud” Zakharov’s Beastmaster, while in Game Two, it was Nikita “Munkushi~” Chepurnykh’s dominant Windranger performance that sealed the deal.
The defeat sent Team Zero packing in 13th-16th place, and taking home an estimated $40,000 of the TI13 prize-pool, just 1.5% of the total amount.
But the story that’s captured the attention of fans during Team Zero’s run has been that of Remus “ponlo” Goh Zhi Xian, the Singaporian four-position of the stack. Ponlo’s post-game interviews, social media presence, and infectious personality has once again won over fans, with his exit interview praised as a fantastic example of his calibre.
Beyond this, Ponlo had attempted to capture the elusive “bald buff” shaving his head before The International 2024. Unfortunately, the lucky charm didn’t favor the Chinese side, with Ponlo and his squad being eliminated.
The SEA support star has had a prodigious rize over the past two years. From short-lived stints on Geek Fam, Resurgence, and MS Chonburi, Ponlo rose to prominence during the Covid-19 era of online place, with his solid performance with Quincy Crew.
After good showings on Team Fusion and Aster.Aries, Ponlo broke into the western scene after being recruited by Alliance. But after a season with the team, Ponlo returned to SEA, competing with Malaysian team MAG, before being recruited by China’s Team Zero.
With a reputation for selfless play and innovative performances, Ponlo has been the standout of an otherwise short and disappointing run for Team Zero. Chinese Dota has seen a resurgence in the past year, and with imported talent such as Ponlo, and the mixed SEA/China roster of G2 x iG, the ceiling for these teams seems limitless.
Team Zero’s opponents, 1w, had their celebration cut short – they went on to be defeated and eliminated by Team Falcons just one game later.