Iconic Overwatch player Miro is stepping down from professional play

Former Seoul Dynasty main tank Gong ‘Miro’ Jin-hyuk has announced that he is stepping away from professional Overwatch.

Miro was recently released into free agency by the Dynasty following the conclusion of Overwatch League Season One, but has opted to become a full-time streamer rather than seek a new team for Season Two.

Miro made a statement regarding his future on his stream, which was translated by @gatamchun on Twitter. Miro didn’t state whether he intended for the move to be permanent.

One of the game’s early iconic players, Miro is best-known for his revolutionary play on Winston in the early days of competitive Overwatch. His use of the hero demonstrated just how powerful he could be in the right hands, and brought Winston into a position of prominence that he has never left since.

Miro was also one of the founding members of Lunatic-Hai, for much of the pre-OWL era considered the best team in the world and the only team to win two APEX titles. Lunatic-Hai were at the forefront of South Korea’s ascent in competitive Overwatch, helping to establish the country’s dominance that has never since been rivalled.

• Read more: Overwatch League Post-Season One Transfer List *Updating*

During Lunatic-Hai’s peak, Miro was one of the key components of their success, considered by many the best main tank in the world and a contender as the best player outright. Miro also helped South Korea secure victory at the inaugural Overwatch World Cup.

Unfortunately, in the Overwatch League Seoul Dynasty – which was built around the roster of Lunatic-Hai – struggled to live up to their former glory, ultimately finishing in eighth place. Though there were issues across the board, Miro was identified as one of the issues, with analysts suggesting that he had struggled to adapt to the further evolution of the main tank role.

Despite the underwhelming season, Miro’s legacy will still be that of an icon in the game, a revolutionary main tank who helped define how Overwatch was played at the highest level.

Fans of Miro as a pro player may hold onto some hope to see him again, as when asked whether he would consider a return in the future, he answered “I don’t know”. With the Overwatch League likely to have further expansions for Season Three, and a mid-season signing window presumably opening at some point even sooner, it’s quite likely that a player of Miro’s experience and stature could return even if he doesn’t join a team for the start of season two, should he choose.