If you’re a fan of Dota 2 team OG, then this should be surprising news. For starters, it looks like a three-peat is going to be difficult. Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka announced that he was retiring from the competitive scene. Making things even more complicated is Anatham “ana” Pham revealing that he is taking a break and will come back next season.
In a statement released on OG’s website, JerAx said that he always found video games to be an amazing platform and that there were “no limits and you are able to share the experiences with others.”
For JerAx, Dota 2 remains to be an endless puzzle that some have found solutions to, but no one has been able to fully crack it. He went on to say that as he plays “more and more, the information and knowledge of the game had an overwhelming affect on me, and it became an addiction of some sort to understand every single detail about it. While there is a feeling of fulfillment when one succeeds, missteps often frustrate and even infuriate."
Talking about the competitive scene, the goal has always been to make sure that everyone is at their best, but it has been impossible to keep up. The tournaments test a team’s capability and the reality, JerAx said, has always been cruel. He went on to say that the culture has hit him hard and the yearly grind has made him “feel apathetic, exhausted, and almost numb.”
JerAx shared that winning didn’t bring himself joy. Instead, it was “the creative work behind it” along with “ideas we have came up with and shared together and the polished details that eventually made the difference.” Ultimately JerAx revealed that he no longer has the passion or willingness to play Dota 2 and has trouble being in a competitor’s shoes.
While he is indeed leaving OG’s active roster, JerAx said that he will remain part of the team.
Ana Takes A Break
In addition to JerAx’s announcement, ana also announced that he is taking a break. This is not just any break, though. It looks like ana will be out for the entire season, but looks like he will return next year.
Our carry player and Io god @anadota99 will extend his break and come back for the next season.
— OG (@OGesports) January 25, 2020
Rest well Anathan!#DreamOG pic.twitter.com/Ry7Pr8KdZi
This is not the first time, as ana first took a break after OG won The International 2018. With ana out, OG took a chance with Per Anders Olsson “Pajkatt” Lille. That didn’t work out, and later OG signed Igor “iLTW” Filatov. By March 2019 ana made the decision to return to the team in time for OG to get invited to The International 2019.
No announcement has been made for the replacements for either competitor as of right now.
