Paparazi retires from Dota 2 competitive scene

One of the best players in the history of the Chinese Dota 2 scene, Hang “Paparazi” Chengjun, is retiring from the competitive scene after leaving the Xtreme Gaming lineup.

There is no doubt that this is a bit hard news for the Chinese Dota 2 scene, but it is expected by the community since, for several weeks, it was rumored that Paparazi would soon retire from the competition. In addition, the CN region loses a stronghold in the mid-lane since, as we know, Paparazi is one of the most talented mid laner in the history of Dota 2 in China.

Paparazi retires from competitive Dota 2

Xtreme Gaming, Paparazi’s former team, announced on their official Weibo account the departure of Paparazi from the team’s lineup, and, at the same time, they announced that the player is retiring from the competitive Dota 2 scene.

XG announced that Paparazi灬 is officially retired and thus he has also left the team. In the announcement they also mentioned that due to health issue Paparazi灬 already wanted to retire after TI11 but still take the responsibility and played another year for XG. pic.twitter.com/unGuwcy1SL

— CN Dota In A Nutshell (@Tr1H4rd3rDota2) July 31, 2023

For all those who follow the DPC CN region, it’s no wonder we say that Paparazi is one of the best mid-laners in the region. Moreover, the player was one of the fundamental pillars of iG Vitality at the beginning of his career as a professional and, later, a great force playing for Vici Gaming. On the other hand, it is worth noting that Paparazi was a regular player in four of the last five editions of The International.

However, after Xtreme Gaming’s failed qualification for TI11, the team’s level started to decline in early 2023, and right now, the team is one of the worst teams in the region. The team was indeed able to qualify for the Berlin Major, but their participation was brief since they could not go beyond the first round of the playoffs, where they lost to Team Liquid by 1-2.

Right now, the team could not score the points needed to qualify for TI12. After finishing #15 at the Riyadh Masters 2023, Paparazi seems to have decided to walk away from competitive Dota 2.

Paparazi wanted to retire in the 2022 season

In their statement, Xtreme Gaming said that the 27-year-old Chinese player had plans to retire after the end of TI11 at the end of 2022. According to the report, Paparazi had health issues that did not allow him to display his full potential in the game. However, it appears that Paparazi decided to play this season because the team asked him to rather than out of his desire to remain on the scene.

Similarly, several professional players and teammates pointed out that Paparazi did not want to play Dota 2 competitively anymore, even before playing in the Riyadh Masters 2023.

With Paparazi’s departure from Xtreme Gaming, the organization signed Guo “Xm” Hongcheng, as the team must prepare for the Chinese qualifiers for TI12. Xm is an experienced player who previously played for EHOME and Vici Gaming, so a quick synergy with his new teammates is expected.

Header: Xtreme Gaming | Weibo