Is A Former TI Winner Coming Out Of Retirement?

The social media activity of the spouse of a retired TI winner hints that the player might be considering a return from retirement

Reports suggest that a former TI winner could contemplate reentering the competitive gaming sphere, hinting at a possible return through their spouse’s recent social media posts. There are also claims that the player has been approached with invitations to get back into the action, and the player seems to be genuinely contemplating these opportunities.

Which TI Winner Is Considering Coming Out of Retirement?

Credit: One Esports

Rumors are swirling within the Dota 2 community about the potential comeback of Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida, a prominent Chinese player known for his offlane prowess. e might be considering a return to the professional scene after reportedly receiving invitations from his “old friends.” Despite these enticing invitations, however, it appears that Faith_bian still harbors reservations about making a full-fledged return.

Faith_bian’s wife:(has been deleted later on) there’s also many ppl is wondering about will Faith_bian comes back from retirement, his old friends asked him to team up together a while ago, and I’m really happy about it. I always support all the decision he made, pic.twitter.com/0QFya9KR1b

— CN Dota In A Nutshell (@Tr1H4rd3rDota2) November 22, 2023

Interestingly, details about this prospective return surfaced through a post made by Faith_bian’s wife on social media, shedding light on his contemplation. The post, which was later removed, hinted at the invitations received by Faith_bian from his former teammates or close associates. It’s worth noting that this information was disseminated and translated by the CN Dota In A Nutshell community on X.

“Many people are wondering if Faith_bian will return from retirement,” Faith_bian’s wife wrote. “His old friends asked him to team up together a while ago, and I’m really happy about it. I always support all the decisions he makes, and I also want him to choose the most comfortable things to do for himself.”

“But he also had a lot of concerns about it. First, is that he did announce his retirement before, so it’s kind of weird to change his mind now. But to be honest, I think people’s opinions on anything are always changing based on their life experiences over time. What do you guys think about that?”

Faith_bian bid adieu to the Dota 2 scene after The International 2022. His LGD Gaming colleague Wang “Ame” Chunyu also took a timeout from gaming around the same time. In recent weeks, the online Dota 2 community has been buzzing about Ame’s rumored return.

With a remarkable nine-year stint in professional esports, Faith_bian emerged victorious in multiple high-profile tournaments, including the illustrious TI6. Across this period, the Chinese Dota star accumulated an impressive prize pool exceeding $3.8 million.