League of Legends Pro Player Mata Announces Retirement
Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong, a renowned support player in the world of League of Legends, revealed on Facebook today that he will be taking a step back from professional gaming.
Mata has had an impressive career in League. In 2013, he joined MVP Ozone and later moved to Samsung White. His contribution to the team resulted in a victory at the 2014 World Championship, where he was even honored with the Samsung White Thresh skin.
After leaving Samsung White, Mata signed with Royal Never Give Up in 2015 and transitioned to the LPL. He secured the region’s 2016 Spring title and made his third appearance on the Worlds stage. Mata then went on to join KT Rolster, winning the LCK 2018 Summer playoffs, before joining SK Telecom T1 the following year.
Related: Former T1 support Wolf retires from pro League of Legends. Read more here.
Following T1’s loss to G2 Esports at the 2019 World Championship semifinals, Mata departed from the team on November 19. With the team’s decision to prioritize Lee “Effort” Sang-ho, Mata had limited playtime and only participated in two games during this year’s World Championship.
Mata’s retirement signifies the end of an era, as all members of the former Worlds-winning Samsung White roster have now retired. Recent months have seen the departure of mid laner Heo “PawN” Won-seok and AD carry Gu “imp” Seung-bin, leaving Mata as the only remaining player from the legendary lineup.