Maroun Merhej

Lebanese Dota 2 player Maroun “GH” Merhej competes for Nigma Galaxy. Merhej was formerly a member of Wired Gaming, which rose to fame after taking first place in the MSI BEAT IT 2014 Middle Eastern Qualifiers. Following this success, the squad was taken on by the E-LAB company, which is regarded as the first Middle Eastern company to sponsor a Dota 2 team.

Merhej himself became well-known for having a matchmaking rating (MMR) of over 9K in Dota 2 and, at one point, having the highest MMR in Europe. Despite being well-known for his solitary midfield play in bars, he plays support in competitive games. At DreamLeague Season 6, he joined Team Liquid as a replacement for BuLba, and he went on to win the competition.

On January 2nd, 2017, Merhej officially replaced BuLba by joining Team Liquid. His arrival to the squad significantly enhanced their performance, leading to two online qualifier triumphs in the first few months of 2017 and one LAN victory at StarSeries Season 3 in February 2017. Team Liquid and Merhej went on to dominate the international Dota 2 scene after getting invited to the Kiev Major and placing 5-8th, as well as winning four consecutive LANs. Then came their biggest accomplishment: The International 2017. With his victory at the first TI he entered, Merhej earned his share of more than $10 million in prize money. At least two of the event’s most feared heroes were Merhej’s—Keeper of the Light, Earthshaker, and Wisp—which gave the team more freedom in their picks.