On the evening of January 11, 2021, the Vietnamese DOTA 2 community was hit with a massive shock as Nguyễn Minh Nhân a.k.a Lis a.k.a Secret – a top DOTA 2 player from Vietnam – passed away due to lung disease. The news was confirmed by his former teammates, Huỳnh “Magical” Hữu Nghĩa and Nguyễn Đình “Misa” Việt Thành, along with Lis’s family.
This is indeed a great loss for the DOTA 2 community in the S-shaped country, as Secret was one of the pioneers of this esports title in Vietnam.
Lis, or Secret, whose real name was Nguyễn Minh Nhân, was born in 1988. He was a “giant tree” in the Vietnamese DOTA 2 scene during its early years as it began to reach out to the world. Under the banner of teams like 1 st.VN, Spirit Gaming, Aces Gaming, and 496 Gaming, he brought numerous glories to Vietnamese DOTA 2 alongside the most talented players in the country such as Misa, Tài, KL7, Ares, QQ, and later Yasy, Magical, and 458.
Throughout his peak years, Lis amassed countless domestic titles such as the champion of the NVIDIA Dota 2 Vietnam Tournament Season 2, VECL 2014, and also won a bronze medal at MPGL 2014 – a large-scale tournament in Southeast Asia.
Not only was he the backbone of the team, but Lis also left a significant mark with his unique playing style, earning admiration from colleagues, commentators, and audiences worldwide.
During the 2013-2014 period, Aces Gaming, led by Lis with his signature hero IO, played exceptionally well and even reached 22nd in the world rankings on Gosugamers. The Aces Gaming lineup featuring QQ, Misa, Tài Polime, Lis, and KL7 created a fearsome reputation in Southeast Asia, defeating formidable opponents in the region at that time. No one can forget how dominant Lis was with Io, and he was one of the first to boldly bring out a hero known for being “paper-thin” and purely a support into the mid lane in an official match.
Not only did Lis contribute greatly during his playing career, but he was also a mentor and guide for the younger generation, helping them continue the journey to The International that he himself could not complete. Moreover, even in his thirties, Lis frequently participated in domestic tournaments, firstly to keep his passion alive, and secondly to help discover new talents in DOTA 2 Vietnam.
But now, after all his contributions to Vietnamese DOTA 2, Lis has left us with his dream of TI still unfulfilled. Rest in peace, legend of Vietnamese DOTA 2; his younger teammates and talented colleagues will strive to realize his dream as well as that of all DOTA 2 players in the S-shaped country.
