Top Laner MaRin Announces Retirement from Professional Play
After an impressive five-year career filled with both domestic and international success, top laner Jang “MaRin” Gyeong-hwan has made the decision to retire from professional play. MaRin shared this news while streaming, stating, “I’m retiring. The life as a pro player has ended.” His retirement marks the end of an era in esports.
One of MaRin’s most memorable moments was his participation in the 2015 World Championship as a member of SK Telecom T1. During this time, the team secured a victory, with MaRin earning the title of World Championship MVP. This cemented his reputation as one of the best players in the world at that time.
Following his World Championship victory, MaRin went on to join several different teams. In 2016, he joined LGD Gaming, but eventually returned to South Korea to be a part of Afreeca Freecs’ 2017 rebuild. MaRin spent the entire 2017 season playing for Afreeca before heading to China to play in the LPL under Topsports Gaming.
As of now, MaRin’s plans for the future remain unknown. While he regularly streams on Twitch, it is unclear whether he will pursue streaming as a full-time career. Another retired veteran player, Kang “Ambition” Chan-yong, made the transition to Twitch streaming after retiring and has gained a substantial following.
There is also the possibility that MaRin might choose to complete his mandatory military service, if he has not already done so before his professional debut in 2013. His former teammate and jungle legend, Bae “Bengi” Seong-woong, decided to take a break from coaching to fulfill his mandatory military service.
To stay up to date with MaRin’s future endeavors, fans can follow his Twitch channel. It will be interesting to see what path he chooses to pursue after his retirement from professional play.
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