Doinb hints at retirement following Worlds 2019 win: ‘This might be my last game’
FunPlus Phoenix’s (FPX) distinguished mid-laner Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang has hinted at immediate retirement following his team’s success at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
Doinb had previously considered retirement before the 2019 season and shared insight into his decision in an interview with ESPN.
“Originally, I was certain that I was going to retire,” Doinb said. “In the trading phase, a lot of people came to Rogue Warriors and asked if I was going to be traded, but I actually told my team that I didn’t wish to be traded, that I was going to retire because my body wasn’t feeling well. That was the main reason why I wanted to step down.
But with encouragement from his wife, Li “Umi” Youzi, Doinb decided to play on and have one more shot at making the World Championship.
That decision proved to be a fruitful one, as Doinb led FPX to win the 2019 World Championship by obliterating G2 Esports and handing the European team defeat in the first three games of the five-game series.
Shortly after raising the Summoner’s Cup and celebrating with the thousands of fans at the AccorHotels Arena, in Paris, France, Doinb shared with media that he may have played his last game of League of Legends.
Responding to a question from Korizon Esports’ Ashley Kang about how would the Doinb who almost retired at the start of the year respond to knowing that he would go on to win Worlds, Doinb said: “I think it’s actually a very similar scenario right now because this might actually be my last game.”
“If I had a chance to go back and tell the old Doinb at the start of the year, I’d tell him to never give up and that there’s always hope.”
Doinb played a vital role in not only getting FunPlus Phoenix to Worlds 2019 but advancing them towards the Finals and helping them claim the Summoner’s Cup.
His unique playing style enables the success of his team as he looks to provide support to all of his teammates around the map. Although Doinb was not awarded Finals MVP, he played a crucial role for his team and supported jungler Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang, who went on to win the award.
If Doinb proceeds with retirement, his presence will surely be missed, especially so considering that FunPlus have the opportunity to defend their title on home soil in Shanghai, China, at the 2020 World Championship.
In response to a media question asking what he would say to his wife about convincing him not to retire, Doinb replied: “She was very worried at the beginning for my condition. Physically, I wasn’t feeling so well, so I was pretty on the fence, but she felt like if I was to retire that it’d be a bit of a pity.
“I want to say sorry to her. Everyone knows this, that even when we take breaks, I don’t go home often, and even if I do, I play ranked all the time. I’ll be with you all the time; we’re married now, so we can live together.”
Although Doinb merely hinted at the idea of retiring from League of Legends, it appears as though it won’t be much longer before we have confirmation regarding his decision.
“Please just wait for my stream,” Doinb told the media.