Condom Ad Hints That Ame May Not Retire for Another Year

There has been a rumor for quite some time now that PSG.LGD's star carry Wang "Ame" Chunyu was to retire from competitive Dota 2 after The International 11 (TI11). Despite Ame's silence on the rumor for the past few months, a recent poster ad from PSG.LGD's sponsor Jissbon, a Chinese condom manufacturer, seems to suggest that Ame might continue playing Dota 2 professionally next year. A display text in the advertisement that featured Ame in a suit conveyed the message to fight until the end and compete for another year. However, Jissbon deleted this advertisement soon after it was posted.

Ame may play competitive Dota 2 for one more year

The Chinese text posted on Jisbon's post showed Ame from PSG.LGD, according to Twitter user @Tr1H4rd3rDota2, translates as "last till the end and fight for another year." It is unknown why Jissbon decided to remove the post.

Ame's retirement has been predicted since the early months this year, with TI11 being his last event. During a post-match winner's interview at the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) regional league in June, the 25-year-old stated that he wanted to keep his rumored retirement this year "secret." No official confirmation regarding his retirement has been made by the player since then or now, even after TI11 has come to a close.

It was yet another successful year for Ame, with top results at the regional leagues, a win at the Riyadh Masters 2022, a second place finish at the PGL Arlington Major, and a 5th-6th place finish at TI10. Despite continuous outstanding achievements, Ame once again was unable to obtain the Aegis of the Champions at TI11 after having come so close in previous years.

Because the player prefers to keep a low profile, it is uncertain how extensively the defeat has affected him and whether he desires to commit another year to claim this Aegis.

Meanwhile, PSG.LGD’s offlaner Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida also retired from competitive Dota 2 following the conclusion of The International 2022 (TI11).

As a result, for the upcoming DPC 2023, PSG.LGD will need at least an offlaner and considering there is still some time before the new season begins, it is uncertain if the team will also need a carry player should Ame decide to retire. Perhaps, these two changes may be just the tip of the iceberg for the team.