OG may be missing the Singapore Major, but it’s clearly not ready to rest, as the team officially parts ways with Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng. The Malaysian pro had joined OG at the start of 2020 as part of a ground-breaking new roster. But just over a year and one month later, on March 22nd, MidOne left the team.
MidOne leaves OG amid a roster shuffle that will see the team sign a new carry (Image courtesy OG)
Announced in a tweet and accompanying blog post, the departure comes after months of disappointing performances for OG. The team, which struggled during the pandemic and lack of DPC events in 2020, looked for a fresh start in 2021. However, the stack found itself settling in the middle of the table against stiff regional opposition. Missing out on the Major, MidOne and OG were robbed of one of the few chances for international competition this year.
During his time with OG, MidOne switched from his eponymous mid-lane role to offlane and finally to carry. This was due to a series of departures and roster changes that saw Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan, who was initially signed alongside MidOne, leave. In his wake, Sébastien “Ceb” Debs returned to the offlane, and MidOne has to step up to the plate as a fully-fledged safe lane carry.
A Warm Goodbye
In characteristic fashion, OG’s release and goodbye statement was filled with praise for MidOne. The team praised not only his ability in-game but his humor and dedication as well. Teammate and captain Johan “N0Tail” Sundstein praised MidOne in the post: “I want to thank Yeik for his hard work, and for the sacrifices he has made for OG and for the Team. He is an extraordinary player, and is unfortunate we couldn’t get better results together. Thank you Yeik, and best of luck!” Ceb and CEO JMR Luna also shared their thanks towards MidOne.
With the departure of MidOne, questions as to the identity of OG’s next carry have been open to speculation. And top of the list of rumored players would be Anathan “ana” Pham. A two-time TI winner with OG, ana’s retirements and returns have become something of an in-joke with OG fans. Every time there’s a lull in the squad’s performance, many expect ana to return.
However, OG’s own statement seems to imply that a new player would be joining the roster for Season 2 of the DPC. Their post mentioned “Welcoming a carry player” to the roster soon. OG described the past season as the “most challenging time periods our team ever had to go through.” Fans will hope that the hard times will come to an end with a new member’s addition to the stack.
