Chinese coach Zhang «Xiao8» Ning has officially left Xtreme Gaming. LaNm and Maps are now in charge of the team, while XG’s current roster consists of Ame, NothingToSay, Xxs, fy, and xNova.
Xiao8’s time with Xtreme Gaming began in March 2025, when the organization carried out a major roster rebuild. Ame joined the team, while Xxs and XinQ returned to the active roster. The club introduced Xiao8 as a legendary coach who was expected to bring new ideas and greater stability to the team.
The brightest moment for Xtreme Gaming under Xiao8 came at The International 2025. The team reached the grand final and came within one step of claiming the Aegis, but lost to Team Falcons 2:3.
It was still a massive result for XG: the team re-established itself as one of China’s main title contenders, while Ame once again came extremely close to his long-awaited TI victory.
However, the situation surrounding the team became noticeably more complicated in 2026. During DreamLeague Season 29, rumors emerged that the players were unhappy with the drafts and that Xiao8’s assistant Maps had already taken over drafting duties in some matches.
There was no official departure at the time, but this was the moment when discussions around XG’s coaching staff began to intensify.
Xtreme Gaming later stated that Xiao8 remained the team’s coach and would prepare the roster for The International 2026, despite the rumors and changes made during tournaments.
At Esports World Cup 2026, Xiao8 was no longer listed in Xtreme Gaming’s official lineup. Maps, who had previously replaced him during drafts, was named as the team’s coach instead.
The change has now become permanent: Xiao8 is leaving Xtreme Gaming, and the team will continue the season with a new coaching staff.
Ahead of TI 2026, Xiao8’s departure makes Xtreme Gaming an even more interesting team to analyze. A coaching change could affect the team’s drafts, preparation, and overall stability.
On Winio, we will analyze matches featuring Xtreme Gaming and the other participants at The International, including predictions, team form, key factors, and everything that could influence the outcome of each series.
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