Insania retires from competitive Dota 2

After ten years in the Dota 2 scene, Team Liquid’s captain Insania has officially announced his retirement from competitive play.

Swedish captain and The International (TI) champion Aydin “iNsania” Sarkohi has officially concluded his 10-year-long career as a professional Dota 2 player by retiring at the end of the 2024/2025 season. Team Liquid, his home for the past six years, made the bittersweet announcement, bidding him farewell and expressing their heartfelt gratitude.

“After six unforgettable years with Team Liquid, [Insania] is retiring from professional Dota 2. (...) We’ll be sharing something special soon to honor his legacy, but for now, we express our deepest gratitude and wish him every success in the future.”

Insania’s retirement leaves big shoes to fill. He departs with a prominent legacy as one of Dota 2’s most respected and prolific leaders, having guided his team to numerous victories and titles.

A decade-long journey for Insania

Insania began his competitive Dota 2 career in 2015, starting in the support role. His breakthrough came in 2017 while playing for Ninjas in Pyjamas. Although his stint with NiP didn’t result in major success, joining such a prominent organization helped solidify his presence in the pro scene.

Interestingly, before achieving his greatest triumphs, Insania was perhaps best known for making one of the biggest drafting blunders on TI stage–the infamous “Gyrocopter incident” at The International 2019.

While playing under Alliance, he accidentally drafted Gyrocopter instead of banning it, having lost track of the timer. The mistake occurred during a crucial lower-bracket elimination match, and although the team–several of whom remained his teammates for years after–stood by him, Alliance ultimately exited the tournament near the bottom.

That low point only made his eventual rise to the top even more compelling. Five years later, Insania lifted the Aegis of Champions at TI 2024 with Team Liquid, winning the title in dominant fashion. Since joining Team Liquid in late 2019, Insania had gradually led his squad to become one of the most consistent powerhouses in the scene. Highlights of his tenure include a 3rd-place finish at TI 2022, three runner-up finishes at the 2023 Dota 2 Majors, and two victories at PGL Wallachia in 2025–on top of the coveted TI title in 2024.

With this chapter now closed, Insania retires after a remarkable 10-year career in Dota 2. Even before rising to prominence in Dota, he had already earned legendary status in another title, Heroes of Newerth (HoN), competing passionately in his teen years and becoming the highest-earning HoN player of all time. Legends are rare in one game; being a legend in two is a prestigious feat indeed.

Team Liquid to announce replacement soon

Insania becomes the second major retirement of the post-TI roster shuffle season, following Gaimin Gladiators’ Quinn, who recently announced his exit from competitive Dota 2 to pursue talent work. As of now, Insania has not publicly commented on his retirement, and his future plans remain unknown.

UPDATE: Insania has revealed his intentions to remain in the Dota 2 scene, though he is still unsure whether to go into talent work or coaching.

Team Liquid, meanwhile, is expected to announce his replacement soon, with tournaments already on the horizon. The team is set to compete in the FISSURE Universe: Episode 7 Playoffs, starting tomorrow, 9 October. With Jonáš “SabeRLighT-” Volek also having departed earlier, Liquid’s current roster includes Micke “miCKe” Vu, Michał “Nisha” Jankowski, and Samuel “Boxi” Svahn.