Quinn "Quinn" Callahan took the Dota 2 world by storm today, announcing his retirement from the scene. The news was delivered in a video Quinn filmed in early August, roughly two weeks before Gaimin Gladiators pulled out of The International 14.
The 10-minute video is quite emotional. We see Quinn recap his career, and highlight the people who helped him throughout his time. We highly recommend giving it a watch. It showcases both the beauty and personal struggle Dota 2 professionals go through in order to be the best.
I'm not going to recap the retirement video. Instead, let's take a look back at Quinn's incredible career, and highlight his biggest achievements in Dota 2.
Quinn's biggest accomplishments in Dota 2
Three time back-to-back Major champion
Gaimin Gladiators took all of DPC Major trophies last year. (Credits: Gaimin Gladiators)Let's start the list with an achievement that only OG has done. Quinn, as part of Gaimin Gladiators, won three Majors in a row in 2023. This put the lineup on the map, as not only did Gaimin establish themselves as champion material, they also took down Team Liquid three times in a row in each Major final.
And it's not like Majors was the only thing Quinn was winning. Gaimin Gladiators also won two DreamLeagues in a row that year, along with BetBoom Dacha. Quinn himself notes that 2023 was his year, and the year he felt like he was the best mid in the world.
"I was lucky enough to achieve that in the 2023 season. I believe I was the best mid player in the world at a point, and we won a lot of tournaments and w ere the best team in the world for the majority of that year."
Two Time International Finalist
Gaimin Gladiators at TI12If Wang "Ame" Chunyu was called the uncrowned king for his two (now three) TI final appearances, then Quinn is no less deserving of that title. in Both 2023 and 2024, Gaimin Gladiators emerged from the Lower Bracket finals to try and etch their name in the Aegis, only to be rebuffed by the eventual champions.
Quinn didn't end up putting his name on the trophy, but a champion is more than a list of accolades. Gaimin's run in both Internationals (especially 2023) was incredible to watch and highlighted what made them a team worth cheering for.
Riyadh Masters winner
This time, they came in as Riyadh Masters Champions and Ace was playing at home. — Credit: Esports World CupQuinn's last tournament run as a champion is also his biggest. In 2024 Gaimin Gladiators unexpectedly won Riyadh Masters, and in incredibly convincing fashion. The dropped only a single map against Team Falcons in the playoffs, going 9-1 overall. It was an astonishing win for the team, considering their overall lackluster year until then.
Quinn didn't lift a trophy after that, but it's fitting for the man that his last achievement as a winner was the biggest of that year.
On a personal note...
Time will tell what happened between Gaimin Gladiators' players and management but it is sad to see Quinn end his career without competing at The International 14. Win or lose, it would have been nice to see him attempt to put his name on the Aegis against before retiring.
Quinn shared that he will be going into Talent work for the reminder of this year and into the next. Here's hoping it treats him well.
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Featured Image Source: Valve
