xiao8 will coach the Tidebound team for the new season.

After a ten-month hiatus, the Chinese esports team Tidebound announced its return to the Dota 2 professional scene, aiming to compete in the 2026-27 season.

The club released its new roster via its official Weibo account. The team is led by renowned coach xiao8 and includes many experienced local players.

Tidebound previously finished 7th or 8th at The International 2025 (TI 2025), and subsequently suspended operations in December 2025.

In this reorganization, the team retained four core members from the original roster: position 1 Shiro, position 2 NothingToSay, position 4 planet, and position 5 y`. Veteran player Yang was brought in for position 3, completing the final piece of the puzzle.

With the conclusion of TI 2026, many Chinese clubs faced personnel restructuring and disbandment, which led to the formation of this roster. Previously, coach xiao8 and mid-laner NothingToSay played for Xtreme Gaming and left the team after TI 2026.

Shiro and y`'s team, Vici Gaming, disbanded after failing to advance from the playoffs, and the two became free agents; planet said goodbye to Team Resilience, which was eliminated in the playoffs; Yang's former team, Team Refuser, failed to advance from the qualifiers.

As a significant development in the post-TI 2026 player transfer period, Tidebound's return injects new uncertainty into the upcoming season. The performance of this veteran roster will undoubtedly be a focal point for esports viewers.

Image source: Internet