Silkthread leaves Chengdu, announces retirement

gabhernandez Published 01/12/2018

American DPS Ted “silkthread” Wang has announced his retirement from competitive Overwatch.

Silkthread last played for Los Angeles Gladiators. He said had been signed with the Chengdu Hunters for season two, but after discussion with management the organization allowed him to terminate his contract and leave the Overwatch League.

His given reason for the decision is burnout and a general lack of satisfaction in professional Overwatch competition. He also cited a cultural difference between western teams and Chinese teams. Silkthread stated that he had difficulty adjusting to the work hours, reduced privacy, general living conditions, off-days, and overall work ethic in the Chinese organizations.

It was also difficult for Silkthread to adjust to speaking in all Chinese, and while he picked it up fairly quickly, it added another hurdle for him to contend with.

After just a short amount of time spent with his new team, Silkthread felt that his withdrawal wouldn’t affect the team’s developing synergy. While he credits much of his personal growth and independence to the Overwatch League, he has no plans to further his career in esports, and will instead go back to college.

Silkthread has applied to three universities and will look to major in business. He offered that it’s possible he could return to esports in a management capacity rather than a competitor, and that he remains motivated to help esports become as recognized as traditional sports.  

Currently in China, Silkthread plans on making the most out of his new vacation, which includes visiting some tourist spots and his parents’ home town. He will then return home to the United States and concentrate solely on streaming until the next semester of school.

Read Also

Twitch

Ludwig Shares Monthly Income, Including Sponsorship Revenue Khizar Mundia Having started out as a gaming streamer, Ludwig Ahgren has since grown massively in prominence and established himself as an all-round streamer on Twitch. He has now lifted the lid on his monthly earnings, and his viewers were surprised by how much sponsorships contribute to his monthly income. American streamer Ludwig became known for his Super Smash Bros. content, and he has since started hosting events for the game, where ...

Twitch

Streamer University 2026 Has Ended: These Were the Event’s Highlights Khizar Mundia Rumors swirled that Kai Cenat would cut Streamer University 2026 short, but the event ultimately concluded as planned and it was packed full of drama and controversies. Here's a look back at the biggest moments from the five-day creator camp. Twitch star Kai Cenat’s return to the streaming space after a months-long break was massively successful, with the streamer crossing 1 million concurrent live viewers for the second time in ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Ends World Cup tour in style, performs at final and teases 2030 Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins. Jr.’s FIFA World Cup 2026 tour has come to an end, marking the end of five weeks of memorable streaming, and the American even performed his song at the showpiece final between Spain and Argentina. This was another World Cup livestream, where Speed’s father and brother were also present. The two engaged with viewers, as Speed was set to perform at the finals, and they even did ...

News

Identity V Championship NAEU 2026 announces official DXRACER partnership Hannan Mundia Identity V's presence in the esports scene continues to grow, and the 2026 Identity V Championship NAEU's new partnership with DXRACER reflects the direction of travel. Identity V may not seem like much of a competitive game at first glance. The asymmetrical multiplayer game has familiar elements shared with horror titles such as Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th, but its competitive depth has helped it establish a dedicated ...

Twitch

ExtraEmily hires a driver after Twitch ban over distracted driving Khizar Mundia Emily “ExtraEmily” Zhang was recently in the news for getting banned from Twitch for the third time, and the streamer has now taken the step of hiring a driver after another brush with the law. 2026 has been an intense year for ExtraEmily so far. The streamer was accused of viewbotting and took a break for mental health reasons. The creator returned again shortly after, but was once again receiving ...

News

Spain vs Argentina 2026 World Cup Final: Preview, Boosted Odds and Prediction Markets Ben Boland The 104th and last match of the 2026 World Cup takes place on Sunday, with European champions Spain taking on current holders Argentina at the New York New Jersey Stadium. It will mark the end a memorable five-week tournament that will go down as one of the most exciting in living memory. The major story has been the success of underdogs, with multiple upsets taking place in the earlier stages ...

Slots

Here are the best promos at crypto casino Roobet Ian John Promotions and offers are a key part of any casino's appeal to new and existing customers and that is very much the case for crypto casino Roobet. As well as speedy payments, the site has earned a fine reputation amongst gamers for the range and quality of its promotions — and in this post we will take a look at each Roobet promo available in more detail. Remember, you can ...