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South Korean Dota 2 superstar Lee “Forev” Sang-don announced his temporary departure from professional Dota. Currently, Forev plays for team HOYO in the Dota Pro Circuit Southeast Asian Regional League. Players choose to depart from the stage for a myriad of reasons. Undoubtedly, it was a tough decision for the veteran player but he chose to value his own issues over forcing himself to compete.
The Importance of Self-Care
ps. by valve rules about dpc, standin can only plays 4 series. so if team hoyo needs me to play in tiebreaker,i'll do my best to help them and thanks to teammates for understanding me getting off from the team. i'll be back stronger
— Forev (@DotaFoREv) February 2, 2021
Forev cited personal reasons for his decision to step away from the competition. This is a commendable decision from one of the most skilled Korean players in the sport but the repercussions could prove fatal. Players deciding to step away from competition for any reason can do so with the blessing of their team but that effectively kills their The International run for that year.
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CIS veteran Vladimir “No[o]ne” Minenko explain briefly in a Tweet in early January how being caught without a team in the current DPC proves deadly for professionals. The current system almost demands professional players remain with one team for the entirety of their Dota Pro Circuit run. Some like No[o]ne feel slighted by the league restrictions but that may not be the same case for Forev.
Forev emphasized that his personal issues as the main reason for his season-long break. He expressed his gratitude towards his teammates for understanding his position regarding his departure. Players forced to leave the competition for any reason may feel stung by the harshness of regulations but self-care always takes precedence. Forev most likely plans to make a return to the DPC next year.
Team HOYO needs to find a replacement in time for their next match on February 8. Fortunately, Valve's DPC rules allow the inclusion of one sub per team.
