Shad

Indji "Shad" Lub is a Dutch professional Dota 2 carry and one of the European scene's most well-traveled players. Across his career, he's worn the colors of roughly 28 different teams—a number that tells you everything about his reputation as the region's go-to plug-and-play carry.

Reliable, adaptable, and quick to slot into any lineup, Shad has built a career less on a single dynasty and more on being the player captains call when they need a position, one who can show up on short notice and perform.

Early Career

Shad first appeared on the radar in 2017 before beginning his career proper in July 2019, debuting at The International 2019 Open Qualifiers with the stack Betrayed alongside kAAN, Nikolica, ntakii, and GreedoT1. The run didn't yield a placement, but it kicked off a grind through the European tier-2 and tier-3 circuit.

From there he bounced between a long string of mixes and short-term rosters, steadily accumulating experience against strong European opposition and earning a reputation as a dependable carry who could hold his own in any environment.

Making a Name

Shad's profile grew not through one breakout roster but through a series of high-profile fill-in performances. The most notable came in October 2024, when Tundra Esports brought him in as a stand-in for PGL Wallachia Season 2—and he repaid the trust with a third-place finish at a $1 million LAN, comfortably the best result of his career.

He also earned a genuine main-roster shot: after qualifying for ESL One Bangkok 2024 with PuckChamp, the roster was picked up by NAVI, briefly making Shad the org's starting carry. A stint on loan to OG followed in 2025. Neither stuck long-term, but they proved he could compete at the tier-1 level when handed the chance.

The Perennial Stand-In

If Shad has a defining identity, it's this: the scene's eternal stand-in. He's the name that surfaces whenever a big org has a hole to fill—Gaimin Gladiators, Tundra, and others have all leaned on him in a pinch, and he once won a tournament as a Gaimin Gladiators fill-in.

It's a double-edged reputation. On one hand, being trusted by top orgs as an emergency carry speaks to his skill and professionalism. On the other, the permanent-substitute label has arguably kept him from landing the long-term tier-1 contract his individual play suggests he's capable of earning. His NAVI and OG spells were real but brief—and he's spent far more of his career on temporary tags than on marquee rosters.

Playstyle and Reputation

Shad is a classic reliable position-one: adaptable, low-ego, and easy to build a draft around, which is precisely what makes him such a valuable stand-in.

Key strengths include:

– Plug-and-play adaptability across roster styles

– Strong individual mechanics and farm patterns

– Professionalism and short-notice readiness

– Comfort competing on LAN against tier-1 opposition

Analysts tend to frame him as a player whose ceiling has never been fully tested by a stable, long-term home — the kind of carry who consistently looks the part but keeps getting handed the temporary jersey.

Fun Facts

– Shad has represented somewhere around 28 different teams—one of the most well-traveled résumés in the European scene.

– He's built an entire career identity around being the region's most-trusted emergency carry.

– Despite the perennial stand-in label, he's amassed roughly $145,000 in career prize money.