Unlike in traditional sports, pro esports athletes have a significantly shorter shelf life. Thus, players retire even before they reach the ripe age of 30. This year, a few Dota 2 pro players announced their retirement, but there is also fan speculation on some of their favorite pro players' retirement. Here are some of the Dota 2 pro players retiring after The International 2022 based on confirmed sources and rumors.
Confirmed Dota 2 players retiring after The International 2022
There are only two players who have confirmed their retirement after The International 2022 and they're both former TI champions: Matumbaman and faith_bian.
Matumbaman, of course, is still in the running for a second Aegis of the Immortals. At the age of 22, he won the Aegis alongside Kuroky's team in Team Liquid back in The International 2017. However, after being kicked from the championship team, Matumbaman moved from one squad to another, before finally finding his way back to Team Liquid this year. While the rest of his former championship team has moved on with the new organization Nigma, which didn't even reach TI this year, Matumbaman is with the organization he formerly won an Aegis with, and is trying to win another one with the same organization. Team Liquid won over Team Aster in Day One of the TI11 Finals.
Read also: “I'll lay in my bed.” – Matumbaman shares his post-retirement plans
Faith_bian also have won a championship back in 2016, the year before Matumbaman won his championship. He was part of the meteoric Wings Gaming, a team that rose to prominence just as quickly as its star faded and ended up dead the year after. However, unlike some of his teammates who retired at that point, Faith_bian and y' continued competing, with the two ending up with PSG.LGD and reaching the Grand Finals in last year's International, almost achieving a second Aegis together. However, they lost that Grand Finals against Team Spirit, and this year the two failed again when their team got eliminated during the Playoffs by Team Aster during the final day of the Playoffs. Faith_bian has since confirmed his retirement from competitive Dota 2, saying that while he still has some gas left in the tank, he has other interests he'd like to pursue for the time being.
Rumored Dota 2 player retirements
Faith_bian's teammate Ame is also rumored to be retiring. Rumors of Ame retiring have been swirling around online Dota 2 communities since earlier this year, but Ame has refused to comment on these rumors, instead teasing fans by saying that “it's a secret” whether or not he'll be retiring this year.
Ame's retirement is a hot topic because at this point, Ame has played in two The International Grand Finals, probably making him the winningest Dota 2 player without winning an Aegis of the Immortals. Ame still is young and can still play pretty well as a carry, so it's unlikely that he will completely retire this year – he could take a break from the grind or move to a new team, but we seriously doubt that he will be retiring soon.
Apparent Dota 2 player retirements
Meanwhile, Ame's former teammate who competed in The International 2018 Grand Finals with him Somnus (also called Maybe) have seemingly announced his retirement on weibo, saying “My youth is destined to have regrets and hard feelings, right? Thank you all for your concern and encouragement. My youth is over.”
Maybe has also had a very rough year this year, with Royal Never Give Up having to play from their hotel rooms due to COVID, and ending up losing a very grindy game that turned out to be the longest Dota 2 Main Stage game in history.
Dota 2 players taking a break after TI11
Meanwhile, taking a break from Dota 2 after The International isn't new, but is still newsworthy.
Rumors from the grapevine say that Matumbaman's former teammates and former TI champion Miracle and Kuroky will be leaving Nigma's active roster post-TI11. Miracle is said set to retire, while Kuroky will be leaving the team, with his plans currently unclear on what he's doing after leaving Nigma.
Team Secret, Team Liquid, Team Aster, and Tundra Esports will be competing for the Aegis of the Immortals this weekend at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, with Team Secret facing off Tundra Esports in the upper bracket finals and Team Liquid facing Team Aster in their elimination lower bracket finals game today. Tomorrow, three teams will remain, and by the end of Sunday, a new champion will be crowned. Either Team Secret's Puppey or Team Liquid's Matumbaman could be crowned as two-time TI champions, with Team Secret's Heen on the run for a second TI championship as a coach this year as well.
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