The Humblegod is stepping away from competitive Dota 2 for good after a relatively short but undeniably illustrious career with OG.
OG's legendary carry player Anathan "ana" Pham aka "humblegod" has retired from competitive Dota 2 as of 14th June 2021. The announcement was made on OG's Twitter, shortly before the start of the TI10 Open Qualifiers.
At the age of 21, Anathan "ana" Pham has achieved what many have dedicated their lives to: winning an International. In fact, he's one of only five people who can say they've done it twice.
OG made history by claiming the Aegis of Champions in both TI8 and TI9, becoming the first two-time TI winners, and back-to-back at that. Following their unprecedented feat, the mild-mannered superstar decided to take a break from the competitive scene. This break lasted well into the start of the DPC 2021 season.
After OG's disappointing showing in Season 1 of the DPC, many fans were calling for the legendary carry player's return. On April 11th 2021, their wishes came true. Ana was announced to return to OG, to fight alongside his brothers in Season 2.
Despite glimpses of their TI-winning form upon Ana's return, the magic didn't last for long enough. OG were narrowly denied a Wild Card slot at the AniMajor by Team Liquid. With that loss, OG no longer had a chance at a direct invite to TI10, meaning they would have to fight through the Open Qualifiers for their slot.
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Why did Ana retire?
In Ana's message on the OG website, Ana explains that this decision has actually been a long-time coming.
"I have been on the fence about this for a while now but am ready to move on to a new chapter in my life."
This isn't the first time that Ana has left the squad. Throughout his time in OG, he's taken breaks here and there, usually in between winning TIs. In fact, there've been countless memes about Ana's time on OG being just a "million dollar summer job". This time though, the humblegod looks to dust off his boots for good.
"Long story short, Dota has been the biggest part of my life for the longest time and I am starting to find and appreciate other things in life that I want to learn about and explore."
Although Ana's time playing Dota 2 may have been relatively short, there's no doubt he's achieved almost everything a Dota 2 professional could hope for. And what better organisation to do it with than the one he treasures so much?
"(OG) will always feel like home to me. This game will always hold a special place in my heart and I am immensely grateful to the Dota community and the people I have met along the way."
One of the undeniable GOATS of Dota 2 š»
Just within an hour of the announcement, fans, other organizations and even other professional players have come out to wish the Ana well.
OG is set to compete in the upcoming ESL One Summer 2021 that begins in just a few days. Ana's replacement will have huge shoes to fill if OG wants a spot at TI10.
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