The International 2026 may be Cr1t’s final appearance in Dota 2's annual world championship after a decade-long streak.
Prominent Dota 2 veteran 
Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen of 
Team Falcons has hinted at his possible retirement from competitive play following the team’s elimination from The International (TI) 2026, with this year’s edition likely to be his final TI appearance.
Cr1t relayed the message in an interview following their elimination, which saw Team Falcons fail to defend their TI title and bow out in 7th-8th place. Addressing his fans and supporters, Cr1t stated:
“[TI] is always special. Last time when I was here in 2019, was also special. For me this is probably the last TI, happy to do it here. It’s always amazing to be in China but fans all around the world always cheering... It’s a special thing to be at TI and I’m gonna miss it. It’s been a lot of TIs at this point and yeah, it’s been a pleasure.”
Cr1t’s retirement would bring a decade-long TI streak and 14-year professional career to an end
The end of a season often sees several professional players draw the curtain on their careers. Ahead of TI 2026, Cr1t had hinted that this would be Team Falcons’ final run together, and he has now indicated that this TI would probably be his last as well.
Cr1t’s retirement would mark the end of a prolific career for the 30-year old, who began competing professionally in 2012, more than 14 years ago. He first caught the attention of the professional scene with Tier 1 appearances under 
Meet Your Makers.Dota2, but it was with 
OG that Cr1t began to establish himself as a consistent top-tier player.
Under OG, Cr1t hoisted three Tier 1 tournament trophies, including two Majors: The Frankfurt Major and The Manila Major in 2015. Cr1t would make his TI debut later that season, entering TI 2016 among the heavy favourites, although OG would suffer a shocking early elimination at the hands of 
TNC Predator.
In late 2016, Cr1t joined the stacked 
Evil Geniuses roster, which would become his home for the next six years. The lengthy stint brought a wealth of achievements, including third place at TI 2018, third at the Kuala Lumpur Major 2018, third at the MDL Paris Major 2019, and second at both the ONE Esports Singapore Major 2021 and WePlay AniMajor 2021.
Cr1t continued to represent the North American region for another season with 
Shopify Rebellion, which developed into a more tumultuous campaign, albeit with two podium finishes at DreamLeague events.
Ahead of the 2024 season, he made a major move away from a faltering North American scene and stepped into Europe to join Team Falcons. It proved to be the most successful stint of his career, as he clinched five Tier 1 tournament titles that year alongside several podium finishes, culminating in a 4th-place finish at TI 2024–one of the strongest seasonal showings by a team in Dota 2 history.
Although the following year brought more modest results, Cr1t would eventually lift the coveted Aegis of Champions at TI 2025, winning a closely fought 3-2 Grand Final against 
Xtreme Gaming. In this 2025-2026 competitive season, likely his last, Cr1t remained with Team Falcons as they embarked on a campaign to defend their title. However, their run ended with a Main Stage elimination, as the team bowed out in 7th-8th place.
If his retirement ensues, Cr1t’s decade-long TI streak would come to a close, having begun with his first appearance for OG in 2016. With Cr1t potentially departing, Team Falcons also appears to be heading towards a major roster reshuffle.
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