Cover-Credits:
Johan "N0tail" Sundstein, perhaps Dota 2's most successful player, has decided to take a break from competitive Dota 2 for at least a year in order to prioritize his health. N0tail also explained in his video posted by OG that after such a long period of intense competition, he believed it was important for him to take a break and relax. During this break, he will, however, serve as a mentor to the new OG roster, stream and create content. With this change, all five members of OG's The International 8 (TI8) and TI9 winning roster have either retired or are on a break.
N0tail goes on a break for at least a year to focus on his health
“I’m personally taking at least a year off, taking a health break so to speak… For now, all I know is that I need a break. I’m very content, very happy. I’m lucky to have played with the guys I’ve played with for the past two years. I feel fulfilled. But I need a break,” N0tail, the captain for OG over the years, cited as a reason for his decision to take a break.
N0tail explained that the challenge of trying to be the best had been tiresome and all he knew in the current moment was that he needed a break. Also, he noted that winning TI twice can both increase and decrease a player's desire to continue playing, but it primarily decreases it. N0tail admitted that even if he had won TI10, he would still have reevaluated his plans to continue playing.
As he mentioned, he typically has a two-week recovery period after every TI, where he sleeps and eats, but after TI10, he felt that he needed a lot more time to recuperate and “reignite the flame.”
With the goal of developing a fresh generation of OG Dota 2 players, N0tail will continue to mentor the new OG roster in his break. “I think it is essential that veteran players work with new players and help them develop. After all, during all these many years we have learned so many things. About Dota, about becoming a good teammate, how it is to be a professional player. That knowledge needs to be shared. We don’t want the next version of OG to be a carbon copy of the current one. But we believe that if we can transfer what we know, and let them add to this, then the ceiling will be much higher, and we can help them get there quicker. Hopefully save them from some of our mistakes :)” said N0tail.
As a Dota 2 player for OG, N0tail takes a break after a flourishing period that included four Major titles and two back-to-back TI victories. N0tail boasts the highest earnings of any esports professional in the world, totaling $7,183,917 USD, according to Esports Earnings. At the recently concluded TI10, N0tail and OG performed well in the earlier stages, but couldn't hold their own in the playoffs and were eliminated in the 7th-8th place.
OG no longer has any players on its active roster after this change. The head coach, Mikhail "Misha" Agatov, is still on the team. In this blog post about N0tail, the organization said the announcement about the new roster will come very soon.
