To the surprise of basically no one, Ceb’s retirement is ending yet again with a return to OG’s main Dota 2 roster ahead of their attempt to qualify for The International 12.
OG has had a very up-and-down few years since n0tail and the boys stepped away—though Ceb has never really been too far from the action. Since retiring from competitive play in November 2021, Ceb has been the most frequent stand-in for OG, most recently having played in two Dota Majors in each of the last two seasons.
For the last seven months, when not standing in for OG, Ceb has been leading a Division II team called Old G alongside former OG teammate Topson. That lineup was meant to compete at a high level while still being a more relaxed environment for the players involved, though that clearly didn’t last if the vibes from his return video are anything to go by.
“Retirement is just THAT boring” sounds about right for Ceb, since he not only helped lead OG to the first back-to-back TI victories in Dota 2 history, but his time spent standing in for the newer roster last year saw them making history with a Stockholm Major win and run fourth at the Arlington Major. Those are the two highest placements for OG in the DPC since his “retirement,” though they did win ESL One Malaysia 2022 last August without him.
Related: Team Spirit returns to Dota 2 summit, take $15 million Riyadh Masters 2023 victory
Following ATF’s departure in November, OG has struggled to find its footing and only managed to qualify for one DPC Major. Roster stability has been a major factor, with multiple stand-ins called in and Misha moving back to coaching.
Ceb previously said his run with OG at DreamLeague back in June was going to be the “last ride” for him and the org, but that only lasted until he joined the lineup at Riyadh Masters—exiting with a cool $200,000 after losing in the play-in.
Now the Dota 2 legend is back in full for the first time since 2021.
Whether Ceb’s return to OG was facilitated by his want to compete for a spot at TI away from the “retirement home” or the org’s lack of options for a top-tier support player is still unknown since the team did not provide additional context. This also leaves several questions about the future of Old G in the air, including if Topson will do anything heading into TI qualifiers like when he joined T1 for a brief stint last season.
Ceb has slightly less than a month to get acclimated with OG’s lineup and help whip the team into shape for WEU’s qualifiers, which start on Aug. 27.
They will be facing off with the likes of Quest Esports, Entity, Team Secret, Nigma Galaxy, and more for two of the final spots at TI12.
