One of the original members of the first Chengdu Hunters roster, Luo “Elsa” Wenjie, has retired from pro Overwatch and parted ways with the Hunters organization.
Elsa’s departure comes after the first week of qualifying matches for the Overwatch League’s Summer Showdown. In an official announcement from the team, Chengdu acknowledged that the decision was Elsa’s to step back from the game and the team. At only 21 years old and in the middle of a terrific season, the departure has seemingly come out of nowhere. Elsa’s retirement was initially reported by Arran “Halo” Spake and denied by Chengdu’s general manager before the move was first confirmed on Weibo.
The Hunters were one of six teams to join the Overwatch League for season two, officially announcing their inaugural roster in late November 2018. Elsa was announced as part of the tank rotation of players alongside Ma “LateYoung” Tianbin and Ding “Ameng” Menghan, who are still with the team (LateYoung is on a two-way contract with academy team Team Chaser).
While initially joining as a tank, Elsa moved to the flex role when he began taking on more DPS roles and expanding his personal hero pool. He was a pivotal part of several Chengdu victories and helped the Chinese national team earn a silver medal at the 2019 World Cup.
Chengdu’s next match is against the Philadelphia Fusion on July 9.
