Xm to miss BLAST Slam VIII: Xtreme Gaming found a replacement

Guo Xm Hongcheng was not included in Xtreme Gaming's roster for BLAST Slam VIII. His place on the team was taken by Gao Setsu Zhenxiong, who will play in the midlane. Information about the change appeared in the tournament organizers' announcement.

The reason for Xm's absence is currently unknown, and the club has not officially commented on the change. Hongcheng joined Xtreme Gaming only recently, when the organization rebuilt its roster following an unsuccessful performance at The International 2026.

For Setsu, this will mark another return to the professional scene after several months away. In June 2026, the Chinese midlaner joined Yakult Brothers, but left the roster after the team's unsuccessful run in the TI15 qualifiers.

Over the past year, Gao has played just 17 maps on the professional scene, recording 12 wins and five losses. His win rate stands at 70%, with an average KDA of 6.83. Despite the high win rate, he trails Xm in GPM and XPM, with Xm averaging 604 and 770 compared to Setsu's 416 and 540.

BLAST Slam VIII will take place from 29.09.2026 to 11.10.2026. The group stage will be played online, while the playoffs will take place in Malta. A total of 16 teams will compete for a $750,000 prize pool. You can follow the tournament in our coverage.

Earlier, CyberScore reported on a stand-in for Team Liquid ahead of the tournament.