In a recent statement on OG’s blog, Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka, the star position 4 player for OG announced his retirement from the competitive Dota 2 scene. The post was titled, “Because all the good things must also come to an end, it’s with a twinge of sadness that we announce you the departure of Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka from the OG active roster.”
In the post, JerAx explained that video games had always been a great platform for him to express himself. The endless puzzles of Dota had fascinated him and the fulfilment of learning the game kept him going through the steep learning curve. His enthusiasm for getting better pushed him harder and connected him to the game. Sadly enough, he elaborated that the feelings which kept him interested in the game had faded away owing to the fact that he started seeing the game as a competition.
JerAx critiqued the harsh competition the Dota 2 scene has to offer, which pushes players to be at an unreasonable best at all times. He claimed, “Living in this culture has hit me hard. Thinking about the yearly “grind” makes me feel apathetic, exhausted, and almost numb.” He further shared the fact that he never found joy in winning but rather the joy for him was in the creative journey behind the win. “What truly counts as a win for me, are the things that happen on an everyday basis. When you see improvement in front of your eyes when your teammate takes into consideration that one thing you asked them to, and how they still accept you after your endless screw ups,” he said.
In his final words, JerAx confirmed that he had finally grown tired of the endless grind for competitive wins and getting better. He announced, “I have no willingness nor passion to play Dota 2 anymore, and I have trouble fitting myself into my competitor’s shoes. For me the decision to pursue another direction is clear, and I have no doubts about it.” He further gave his respects to the Dota 2 community for cementing the game as an esport title and thanked everyone for their contributions.
JerAx had been the driving force behind OG’s historic back-to-back TI victories. The news of JerAx’s departure from OG and competitive Dota, in general, comes as a shock to both fans and the community. The legendary position 4 has inspired countless of new generation players and will forever be remembered for his contributions to the game and his role. OG announced that an exclusive tribute night will also be dedicated to Jesse very soon and requested the fans to stay tuned for more information.
