Chinese carry Ame will miss the 2023 Dota season

The Chinese carry Wang “Ame” Chunyu recently announced that he will not be competing in any professional Dota 2 competitions in 2023, putting an end to speculation about his comeback with Lu “Somnus” Yao.

Ame hinted on a recent livestream that he is not interested in participating in any professional Dota 2 competitions this year, indicating that recent discussions about forming a new squad with Lu “Somnus” Yao are not going to result in anything. The Chinese carry player made the announcement after Somnus recently expressed his desire to return to the professional game and even join Ame’s team to compete in the DPC Tour 3 qualifiers.

After retiring, Somnus has recently become more willing to play professionally again. Ame, on the other hand, took a hiatus, but his comment doesn’t inspire much confidence in his comeback any time soon. The Chinese carry decided to go inactive after experiencing a disappointing end to the 2021-2022 DPC season with PSG.LGD. 

Is Ame’s dream of raising the Aegis of Champions dead?

Ame has been a highly regarded player for PSG.LGD since 2016. The Chinese carry is a two-time Major champion, who won the MDL Changsha Major in 2018 and the WePlay AniMajor in 2021, yet despite multiple chances, the uncrowned monarch was unable to win The International (TI), the biggest Dota 2 competition of them all.

Ame came so close to taking home the Aegis of Champions at The International 2018 (TI8), but OG’s Cinderella Run at TI8 cost him the chance, as he ended up losing the Grand Finals match. Three years later, at The International 2021 (TI10), Ame would have another shot at the title, but fate would once again prevent him from doing so as Team Spirit went on to win the Grand Finals of TI10. 

Ame made the decision to remain with PSG.LGD for another season because he thought the team had a chance to return to the TI Grand Finals. The Chinese powerhouse did well enough to win the regional Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) league and were one of the biggest favorites going into TI11. However, their performance at The International 2022 (TI11), where they only managed to place in the top six, fell far short of expectations.

This was the lowest TI placement for the Chinease team since TI6 in 2016, where they finished in 9th-12th place. Following PSG.LGD’s underwhelming showing at TI11, a number of players quit the team, notably offlaner Zhang “Faith bian” Ruida, who quit professional Dota 2, and position 4 support player Zhao “XinQ” Zixing, who is now competing for EHOME. Despite losing on the biggest stage, Ame is still regarded as one of the greatest Dota 2 players ever and is adored all across the world.

 

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