Ludwig “Zai” Wåhlberg

Ludwig " Zai” Wåhlberg (full name: Ludwig Eric Wåhlberg, or sometimes called Eric Ludwig Jonas Wåhlberg) is a Swedish Dota 2 professional born in August 5, 1997 in Sweden. Currently aged 28 years old (as of November 2025), Zai is known as one of the most consistent and accomplished players on the Dota 2 scene, despite having never won the International (TI).

Zai adalah pemain Swedia dengan ranking negara nomor 1 dan world ranking sekitar #17-18 di esports earnings. He is known as a versatile player (versatile), able to play in the offlane position (Position 3), soft support (Position 4), and even carry in his early career. His signature heroes include Enigma, Batrider, Dark Seer, and he holds the record 19 kills dalam satu game pro sebagai Queen of Pain untuk Team Secret di The Summit 3 European Qualifiers.

The official X (Twitter) account is @zai_2002 , where she actively interacts with fans, although her bio now refers to her as a “fulltime rtz twitch moderator” (RTZ is Arteezy, her former teammate).

Awal Karier: Dari Heroes of Newerth ke Dota 2

Zai began his esports career in Heroes of Newerth (HoN) at a very young age. In the year 2012, when just aged 14 years old, he won DreamHoN 2012 bersama compLexity Gaming (atau Trademark eSports/Team USA di turnamen lain). This achievement made him quickly famous in the HoN scene.

On 2013Zayn turned to Dota 2 with fellow pro HoN like ppd (Peter Dager), Ensoe, dan Tralfamadore. The initial team was Stay Free and Super Strong Dinosaurs. He made his pro Dota 2 debut with Team Dignitas di WePlay Dota 2 League Season 2, meskipun belum meraih prize money signifikan.

Breakthrough occurred at the end of January 2014: Zai joined the S A D B O Y S (bersama ppd, Arteezy, Fear, Universe). The team dominated with a 16-2 record, attracting attention Evil Geniuses (EG) who recruited them in February 2014.

Pro career: main teams and achievements

Zai has played for many top teams, totaling 126 tournaments and ~120 participation, grabbing ~50 podium finishes (including many Champion 1). Total prize money: $4,292,756 (world top 20 ranking).

Timeline Tim dan Highlights:

Teams	Period	Main Positions	Key Achievements
Evil Geniuses (EG)	2014-2015; 2016-2017 (sub/stand-in)	Support/Offlane	TI4: 3rd ($590k+), 4x Major wins (Monster Energy Invitational, The Summit, dll.); TI5: 7-8th.
Team Secret	2015; 2018-2021	Offlane/Support	3x Major wins (The Summit 3, ESL One Frankfurt 2015, MarsTV Dota 2 League); TI7: 4th, TI9: 4th, TI10: 3rd; TI11: 3rd.
OpTic Gaming	2017-2018	Offlane/Support	TI8: 7-8thMixed performance.
Team Liquid	2021-2023	Offlane/Support	Riyadh Masters 2023: 2nd, TI12: 5th; Consistent top 6 globally.

It record: 5x Top 4 (TI4:3rd, TI7:4th, TI9:4th, TI10:3rd, TI11:3rd) – paling banyak setelah Puppey (6x).

On 2024, Zai retired from active play and became General Manager (GM) Tundra Esports Dota 2.  Currently, he is not tied to a team of players but is active in the community (for example, Twitch moderator Arteezy).

Playing style and Statistics

• Versatile: Mulai sebagai carry/offlane di HoN/Dota awal, pindah support di EG, offlane di Secret.
• Stats Pro: ~1459 playable maps, 942 wins (winrate ~65%).
• Dotabuff: Dikenal agresif, vision control bagus, initiator kuat.

Personal life and personality

Zai very private about personal life - no public info about family, girlfriends, or height. He focused on his esports career, briefly returning to Sweden to finish school (gymnasium) after TI5.

Personality: Calm, collected, no scandals - it is called "conflict-free" and positive. Fans suka sikapnya yang straightforward dan skill tinggi. Dia stream di Twitch (highlights, tutorials), dan aktif di X.

Legacy and impact

Zai called “Uncrowned King of Dota 2” karena konsistensi tanpa TI win – karier 10+ tahun penuh podium, $4M+ earnings, dan pengaruh di tim top (EG, Secret, Liquid). The transition from HoN to Dota was a great success, an inspiration for young players. Now as GM Tundra, he continues to contribute behind the scenes.

Zai remains a legend: from a 14-year-old boy Hon champion to a Dota 2 veteran. #zai4ever.