Support legend 'Mata' retires from LoL Pro Scene

2019 takes yet another support player from the professional scene. Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong has announced his departure from the LoL professional scene in his Facebook page.

Mata saw his last game against G2 Esports in the semifinals of the LoL World Championship. After parting ways with SKT, Mata announced that he is open for offers. However, he wasn't able to sign with any teams and thus decided to retire from the scene.

Even as a support player, Mata is one of the most decorated professional in the scene. He is part of the SSW squad that dominated the 2014 World Championship while also winning in the LPL once and also has three LCK titles under his belt. He is also the player who pioneered the use of vision in setting up ganks and controlling the game over small information given by wards.

Below is the full translation of his announcement.

Hello, this is Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong. After having many thoughts, I decided to end my pro gaming career as of 2019.

When I was preparing for my KSATs, I just played games and my parents caught me doing so. I promised them that I'll just try entering a competition, and if it doesn't go well, I'll study. Starting from that, I was in many teams, such as MVP, VG, RNG, KT, SKT, with many teammates and staff members. They were all happy moments that I was able to have good chances and experiences.

It felt good that winning the championship got me more money and career, but what was even better was that I was able to feel all the interest and support of the fans. On the other hand, there were many regretful moments that I could have done well... I would like to play in matches right now, and I'm confident, but it does feel a bit bitter.

I thought of cheering, criticism, and blame as fans being interested in myself. I'm thankful for all the fans' support. Thank you for being together with me for 7 years.

Lastly, I wish the present and future pro gamers always get treated properly without any wrongs. I believe that if you have confidence and do your best, one day you'll have good results. Although it may be a difficult time, I hope and cheer that you'll have a fun pro gamer career without regrets!