Quinn retires from competitive play

Two time, back-to-back The International finalist and three time Major champion, Quinn “Quinn” Callahan is hanging up the mouse.

Quinn retires after nearly a decade of competitive play. His career took off in the North American region, where he made a name for himself as a midlaner under the CCnC nickname. He got to play alongside some of the best players in the NA, including the legendary captain Peter "ppd" Dager, during his tenure at OpTic Gaming, or the now double TI champion Jingjun "Sneyking" Wu, with whom Quinn played at Team Freedom, Forward Gaming, and Newbee.

Before moving to Europe, Quinn was the backbone of Quincy Crew, where, along with Avery "SVG" Silverman, Yawar "YawaR" Hassan, and Arif "MSS" Anwar, he put NA Dota back on the map. But it wasn’t until 2022, when he switched continents and joined Gaimin Gladiators, that Quinn became probably the best mid laner in the world.

He became a three-time, back-to-back Major champion in the 2022-2023 competitive season with Gaimin and reached The International grand finals for two consecutive years, in 2023 and 2024, while also winning the 2024 Esports World Cup championship title.

I had already proved I could be the best and proved that we could be the best, and so the fire to endure the misery and endure the countless hours and missing birthdays and weddings and spending time with my family and friends in favour of practicing and playing pubs stopped feeling worth it to me – Quinn Callahan

Quinn retires without an Aegis of Champions to his name, and unfortunately, after having his chance at becoming a TI champion this year denied by Gamin Gladiators, who pulled out the team from the tournament. Gaimin Gladiators were one of the eight teams to receive a direct invite to TI2025. The organisation’s unexpected decision to withdraw from the pinnacle event of the year without allowing its players to compete unsponsored is still a mystery, as none of the parties can make official statements due to legal implications.

Retired but still connected to the scene

Moving on into the next competitive season, Quinn will join the talent desks. “I look forward to doing something that isn’t so time-consuming and allows me to still be a part of Dota because I still want to be a part of the game,” Quinn said.

Besides planning to become a part of broadcast talent lineups, Quinn also expressed his intention to stream, become a content creator, and help the community by building a comprehensive Dota 2 guide.