Inspired by Team Spirit, EternaLEnVy might leave pro Dota 2

AIllya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk has inspired Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao to do something. But what exactly he’s inspired to do is unclear, and fans are feeling very confused.

EternaLEnVy took to Twitter to praise The International 2021 winner Yatoro, but he did so in a strange way. The free agent player praised the skill and savvy of the TI10 winner and stated that he feels he’s no longer up to scratch as a player.

This was followed by the suggestion that he was set to take a break from Dota 2 or possibly retire entirely. However, he quickly followed up that he is doing neither of these things. It’s unclear whether this means he will be streaming more, redoubling his practice, or something else entirely.

Either way, this is a surprise turn for one of Dota 2’s most infamous personalities. One of Dota 2’s biggest names stepping away would be big news, but what might be even bigger news is the possibility of a more focused and motivated EternaLEnVy.

Why did EternaLEnVy get kicked?

EternaLEnVy currently finds himself a free agent after an ugly breakup with former team Black N Yellow that came after he allegedly gave up on the team after just a few games.

The Dota 2 personality has been a journeyman since 2018 when he parted ways with Fnatic, bouncing between various short-lived North American squads. He took the first half of the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season off, and returned by joining North American squad Black N Yellow in the second half of the season.

After the team finished with a 2-5 record, EternaLEnVy attempted to wrest away control of the team away from the other players in order to compete in the TI10 qualifiers. This led to a public blowout between EE and Daniel “zero” Yun over control of the team. The conflict led to public criticism against EternaLEnVy from other past teammates.

EternaLEnVy later joined with a portion of the SADBOYS roster, but washed out of qualifying events. Since then he has played competitively on only a few occasions, most recently as a stand-in on 4 Zoomers. It’s a steep drop from his peak, playing as a carry for Cloud9 and Team Secret.

It is unknown whether EternaLEnVy will return for the next Dota Pro Circuit season or if he might step away for a time. Either way, this is an interesting turn of events and could mean big things for one of Dota 2’s most famous top players.