The Legend of BurNIng August 26th, 2014 17:41 GMT Text by Monv18hao Graphics by fusefuse table of contents

BurNIng your Soul

An Introduction to B-God

The Legend of BurNIng

The Grand Chronicle

Heroes of Legend

Notable Teams and Teammates

Farewell to BurNIng

May you be the Eternal Blaze

BurNIng Your Soul

BurNIng has been in the spotlight ever since his debut. From his rising popularity on 7L and CH, to EHOME’s ten championships and DK’s nine championship reign, BurNIng’s title of World’s Best Carry is definitely well deserved. The following article will take a look back at BurNIng’s 6-year professional gaming career, and cover all aspects in the story of BurNIng.















The Legend of BurNIng



“My youth is Dota. Now, my retirement takes my youth along with it, yet it can’t take away those shining memories that I’ll have for a lifetime at the bottom of my heart.”



Prelude to Legend

BurNIng’s gaming life can be traced back to the days of Warcraft 3 where he played as Undead. In 2006, he timidly created a thread in a forum asking TeD how to go about joining a professional team. He was 18 years old.



In 2007, the Chinese Dota scene saw rapid development. An endless stream of competitions emerged which produced the first batch of professional Dota players in China. Among these was BurNIng. With his adorable ID Da_Hu_Zi in his early career, he brought public attention to TTI under his leadership despite his young age. In an interview, BurNIng revealed that he enjoyed heroes such as Queen of Pain, Shadow Fiend, and Mirana. His teammate back then from the same hometown, TTI.Thah, was already using the word “core” to describe BurNIng.





a young flame



In 2008, BurNIng, LongDD and aNgel_LovEr joined CaNt, a brand new team which challenged EHOME for a short period of time. Sadly, their results were unsatisfactory. The practice conditions in internet cafes back then were horrendous, and the team couldn’t provide a normal lifestyle for its players. Near the end of 2008, BurNIng joined 7L, and his ID gradually became more familiar to the public. In those times when the Chinese Dota scene was underdeveloped, BurNIng, along with his new teammates aNgel_LovEr, LongDD, DanChe, and DGC, made 7L one of the first Chinese Dota teams to achieve glory against international teams. In 2009, the team PS, with star players Vigoss, ARS-ART and PGG, came to China searching for gold. PS traded blows with the new Chinese Dota teams, yet in the end it was the inexperienced 7L who completely defeated PS on and off-stage in the TianYi Cup. This was the first time several western progamers and fans witnessed the might of Chinese Dota. It is a victory that is still recollected today by many old gamers, yet it was the direct cause for the disbandment of 7L. At the time, 7L’s sponsor was nowhere in sight and the team was behind in salary payments. The prize money they won from the tournament was to be split between the players and the sponsor, which the team’s new star players could not accept. Hence, this team which was all the rage at the time hastily disbanded. It was also at this time that gamers began giving BurNIng the title of “god.” BurNIng. One of the three 7L gods. B-god.



After DGC left this legendary 5-man squad, BurNIng and the other 3 players changed their team name to Team_Team and later joined KingSurf.CN, which already had many household names. However, just like what happened before, if a team’s management is incompetent, the team does not dominate and the sponsor pulls out, the team can only disband. This star-studded team that operated from the start of May until September, was not lucky enough to dodge that fate. After KS.CN disbanded, BurNIng became hot commodity on the market, and under the recommendation of LongDD, BurNIng joined CH, with LongDD and SJQ. Together, they began to challenge EHOME and FTD for a short period before 2010, a year that would be known as BurNIng's historic time.





CH team at SMM



EHOME.GIGABYTE.AAA

In January 2010, BurNIng joined EHOME and began his story as a legend. EHOME had 820, 357, KingJ and Dai/MMY – 4 players who are still active in the Dota scene today. The team's final player is the star of this story, AAA – BurNIng. The story of the origin of the ID AAA (EHOME.GIGABYTE.AAA) is varied among the public. Some say AAA represents the largest poker hand in certain poker variations, representing how BurNIng demands a lot from himself (he wants to be number one regardless if it is carry, mid, or support). Or perhaps it is because the maximum number of characters for an ID in Warcraft 3 was too short. Nonetheless, up until now “BurNIng” is the ID he has used for the longest time. Apparently this ID came from the song “BurNIng” by Maria Arredondo which was introduced to him by his first girlfriend.



This era had one of the highest amount of professional Chinese Dota players. EHOME and LGD with 2009, YYF, CH, GX, and ZSMJ created countless classic games, developing into the golden age of Chinese Dota. At WDC we saw YYF’s double buyback ultra-kill Storm Spirit was no match for BurNIng’s Shadow Fiend; at ACG there was ZSMJ’s 43-minute double rapier medusa with 720 last hits was able to turn the game around; and at SMM B-god’s rampage Morphling ended up losing to Alchemist – these splendid moments became unforgettable memories of many Dota fans during their youth.



This glorious EHOME team won the China Telecom Cup, Chinese National Team Selection, IEM season 5, the National Esports Open, TopGamer, and Road of the King championships along with other tournaments with relatively high prize money amounts: 2010 SMM, ESWC Chinese qualifiers and ESWC World Cup championships. With this impressive sweep of ten titles, EHOME became the fully deserved leader of Dota in China, and possibly even the world.





The glorious 2010 EHOME

Left to right: 357, BurNIng, 820, Dai, KingJ

The Second Coming

In 2011, EHOME was affected by the Chinese Dota reshuffle. BurNIng and KingJ left EHOME and joined Team DK, located in YunNan. The 50,000 Yuan transfer fee that came along with it also set a new record for transfer fees in esports. Among BurNIng’s new teammates were Ksssssss, PIS and Benz who were all well-known players in the scene. However their performance in the first half of 2011 was very disappointing. The players did not have fixed positions although they were all famous. The battleship cleaving through the waves that the team was envisioned to be was more like a chunk of metal submerging in the water – with no signs of life.



Fortunately in May, BurNIng’s forever true love, rOtk, came to save the day. He took over Ksssssss’s position as team captain, and since then has always quietly stood behind BurNIng. Going into the latter half of the year, DK’s results were less than ideal. Despite being invited to the first International, DK could not attend due to the disappearance of PIS. DK was in a state of disarray, and the team only had 3 players in BurNIng, rOtk and Super. BurNIng ended up making a crucial decision and invited Zippo and LongDD to join DK. At the time, LongDD had parted with EHOME and was on the verge of retirement since he had no place to go. With BurNIng’s trust in him, LongDD’s hunger for a championship was rekindled.



Without the glory of having several star players like the original team, this new DK played around BurNIng as a core, and created their own legacy – September’s WuXi International Esport Champion’s Cup saw DK make a comeback against IG.Y, eventually taking the title; ACG China saw DK taking another title; DK was October’s G-League 2011 Season 2 winner, GK99 Yougang Invitational Cup champion without dropping a game, and G1 League Season 3 champion; November’s WDC World champion, ECL Season 4 champion, and G-League season 3 champion; and 2012’s WGT champion. DK had completed their nine championship run before the Spring Festival. DK was unstoppable that year. BurNIng had the best teammates – the stable Super, the witty Zippo, the LongDD whose immense trust in BurNIng was incomparable, and the roaring xb-sama who could weaken the opponent’s fighting capacity by 500% at offline events – rOtk.



The DK battleship, silent for such a long time, finally took off its disguise and set sail!





DK beats LGD to defend their title at G-league Season 3 in 2011

The Other Dota

Time hurriedly welcomed the era of Dota 2. BurNIng had gone through EHOME’s ten consecutive championships, the success of DK and their nine championships and was given the title as one of the top 3 carries as well as the “First Man of Chinese Dota,” and he could not ask for more. After winning G-1 League and StarsWar7, DK was invited to The International 2012. Sadly, this year did not belong to DK, and did not belong to BurNIng. At TI2, DK fell to Na`Vi, dropping to the lower bracket. In the lower bracket semifinal, DK unfortunately fell to IG, finishing fourth place. During their match against IG, the other four players on DK were afk defending high ground, and BurNIng’s stable play alone could not stand up to the more skilled IG. Their results at TI2 were average, but during their lower bracket match against Darer, B-god impressed fans around the world when he finished his Power Treads, Battlefury, Manta Style and Heart on Anti-mage at 24 minutes. Because of this, BurNIng became an alternate name for Dota 1’s Anti-mage prior to Dota’s 6.77 patch.



Rapidly, the post-TI shakeup began. Zippo and LongDD, who helped DK create its nine championship legacy, left the team. BurNIng’s old teammates from EHOME, 357 and MMY, joined DK, thus giving DK the charm of the legendary 2010 EHOME. Be that as it may, 2013 was not destined to be the year of Chinese Dota. Under circumstances created by ACE where S-level teams DK, IG, LGD lacked tournaments and practice throughout the year, these teams ended up being humiliated by Na`Vi and Alliance in quick succession. At TI3, the Swedish Alliance nearly didn’t drop a game and swept the tournament. Only BurNIng’s signature Anti-mage took a hard-fought game off of Alliance (before the finals), breaking Alliance’s zero-loss streak. That year, DK and IG tied for fifth.



B-god’s tears after the tournament, the words he whispered in Hao’s ear, his Anti-Mage that won against Alliance and other moments at TI3 all became long-lasting memories for many Dota fans.





DK’s TI3 roster.

Left to right: BurNIng, 357/QQQ, rOtk, Dai/MMY, Super

The Dream Team

After TI3, Solo championship winner and runner-up Iceiceice and Mushi joined DK together. The previous core of EHOME, LaNm, and the team’s coach, 71, also joined DK, creating the new dream team. rOtk, Super, and 357 helplessly left the team, but just like LongDD and Zippo before them, there was no one who was discontent with him even when BurNIng was criticized by fans.



This dream DK team quickly found their groove. At MLG Columbus in November of 2013, DK defeated Na`Vi and Alliance, who were no longer invincible, but in the end fell to Speed Gaming. However, they weren’t discouraged. At the finals of WPC season one, DK let go of all restrictions after dropping three straight games to IG and resorted to BurNIng’s Clinkz. DK let go of their burdens and played with confidence, and completed a 4-3 comeback after being down 0-3. That was the moment LaNm famously slammed his monitor in excitement. In April at Starladder, BurNIng played nine different carries in nine games, magnificently taking the championship with a clean sweep. At that moment everyone believed this DK could not be defeated, and TI4 would be the best chance that BurNIng has at the title. However, along with the new 6.81 patch, DK became accustomed to losses. At WPC Season 2 and The Summit, DK could not display their previous dominance, losing in the finals to IG and EG respectively.





The Dream Team, DK.

Left to right: Iceiceice, BurNIng, LaNm, MMY, Mushi

Upon the Final Stage

It suddenly was time for TI4 – BurNIng’s last stage. On the first day of group stage, DK underperformed, and a tremendous amount of mental pressure once again gathered onto BurNIng. His drafts played it safe, and many drafts that weren’t optimal for the current patch’s late game had surfaced. At that crucial moment, LaNm took over as the drafter. Five blink daggers chopped up EG, a stroke of genius saw Undying quickly breaking Cloud9, and DK seemingly found a familiar rhythm. Their drafts were unconstrained and fancy, and no one could guess this would be the last DK performance with BurNIng.



During their first game in the lower bracket against LGD, DK has a gigantic lead but did not take advantage of it, resulting in LGD making a comeback. After losing that game to LGD, BurNIng told rOtk: “You guys have to get to the finals and take the championship,” which faintly suggested an intention to give up.



In the end, this team that gave Dota fans an abundance of wonderful memories lost to VG in the losers' bracket semifinals, ending their run at TI4. BurNIng fell to his previous teammates rOtk and Super, and showcased his signature hero Anti-Mage in his last professional match. In a post-match interview, rOtk held back tears as he said “In China [BurNIng] can be called as the “first man of Dota”, which can also be said worldwide. It’s a shame that he couldn’t retire after winning an International.”



On August 17th, 2014, BurNIng and rOtk announced their retirements simultaneously, putting an end to BurNIng’s 6-year Dota career.



Looking back at BurNIng’s professional career – I see BurNIng openly discussing how he left EHOME in an interview – he’s got nothing to hide. Even when fans questioned him for kicking out former teammates, he is still the eternal idol of those old teammates. BurNIng would share the funny story with fans of how he played Slardar at G-1 and couldn’t hit his stuns, coining his nickname of Xulada (Silada = Slardar, Xu is BurNIng’s last name); BurNIng would hold back the urge to drink water during his matches because he knows fans like to screenshot and post pictures of him drinking water; BurNIng would practice hard to master the offlane for his team, play a mid Brewmaster, and give up his title as top 3 carry, all to ensure success. There was also a popular question among people on forums to discuss when talking about BurNIng: “How does B-god farm so fast?” BurNIng was open, adorable, was not afraid of change, gifted and incomparably diligent at the same time. In his career he faced ups and downs, experienced all-time lows but every time he would able to quickly back up to his former glory. This is BurNIng. A player people have come to know as B-God.



BurNIng's Championships

2008 G-League Season 6

2009 TianYi Cup

2010 China Telecom Cup

2010 Chinese National Team Selection (Dota)

2010 ESWC Chinese qualifiers

2010 ESWC

2010 IEM Season 5

2010 National Esports Open

2010 TopGamer Season 2

2010 Road to the King

2010 SMM

2010 WGT China

2011 WuXi International Champions Cup

2011 ACG China

2011 G-League Season 2

2011 GK99 Yougang Invitational Cup

2011 G-1 League Season 2

2011 WDC

2011 ECL Season 4

2012 WGT (Dota)

2011 G-League Season 3

2012 G-1 League

2012 StarsWar 7 (Dota)

2012 It’s Gosu Mini Madness

2013 Fengyun Dota 2 Tournament

2013 WPC ACE Dota 2 League

2013 G-League

2014 SinaCup

2014 Starladder 9 Chinese qualifiers

2014 Starladder 9

2014 ECL

2014 CDEC New Star Challenge

2014 V Games Season 2





BurNIng's Results at the International

TI1 - Did not participate due to passport issues

TI2 - Fourth Place

TI3 - Fifth Place (Tied with IG)

TI4 - Fourth Place



BurNIng’s gaming life can be traced back to the days of Warcraft 3 where he played as Undead. In 2006, he timidly created a thread in a forum asking TeD how to go about joining a professional team. He was 18 years old.In 2007, the Chinese Dota scene saw rapid development. An endless stream of competitions emerged which produced the first batch of professional Dota players in China. Among these was BurNIng. With his adorable ID Da_Hu_Zi in his early career, he brought public attention to TTI under his leadership despite his young age. In an interview, BurNIng revealed that he enjoyed heroes such as Queen of Pain, Shadow Fiend, and Mirana. His teammate back then from the same hometown, TTI.Thah, was already using the word “core” to describe BurNIng.In 2008, BurNIng, LongDD and aNgel_LovEr joined CaNt, a brand new team which challenged EHOME for a short period of time. Sadly, their results were unsatisfactory. The practice conditions in internet cafes back then were horrendous, and the team couldn’t provide a normal lifestyle for its players. Near the end of 2008, BurNIng joined 7L, and his ID gradually became more familiar to the public. In those times when the Chinese Dota scene was underdeveloped, BurNIng, along with his new teammates aNgel_LovEr, LongDD, DanChe, and DGC, made 7L one of the first Chinese Dota teams to achieve glory against international teams. In 2009, the team PS, with star players Vigoss, ARS-ART and PGG, came to China searching for gold. PS traded blows with the new Chinese Dota teams, yet in the end it was the inexperienced 7L who completely defeated PS on and off-stage in the TianYi Cup. This was the first time several western progamers and fans witnessed the might of Chinese Dota. It is a victory that is still recollected today by many old gamers, yet it was the direct cause for the disbandment of 7L. At the time, 7L’s sponsor was nowhere in sight and the team was behind in salary payments. The prize money they won from the tournament was to be split between the players and the sponsor, which the team’s new star players could not accept. Hence, this team which was all the rage at the time hastily disbanded. It was also at this time that gamers began giving BurNIng the title of “god.” BurNIng. One of the three 7L gods. B-god.After DGC left this legendary 5-man squad, BurNIng and the other 3 players changed their team name to Team_Team and later joined KingSurf.CN, which already had many household names. However, just like what happened before, if a team’s management is incompetent, the team does not dominate and the sponsor pulls out, the team can only disband. This star-studded team that operated from the start of May until September, was not lucky enough to dodge that fate. After KS.CN disbanded, BurNIng became hot commodity on the market, and under the recommendation of LongDD, BurNIng joined CH, with LongDD and SJQ. Together, they began to challenge EHOME and FTD for a short period before 2010, a year that would be known as BurNIng's historic time.In January 2010, BurNIng joined EHOME and began his story as a legend. EHOME had 820, 357, KingJ and Dai/MMY – 4 players who are still active in the Dota scene today. The team's final player is the star of this story, AAA – BurNIng. The story of the origin of the ID AAA (EHOME.GIGABYTE.AAA) is varied among the public. Some say AAA represents the largest poker hand in certain poker variations, representing how BurNIng demands a lot from himself (he wants to be number one regardless if it is carry, mid, or support). Or perhaps it is because the maximum number of characters for an ID in Warcraft 3 was too short. Nonetheless, up until now “BurNIng” is the ID he has used for the longest time. Apparently this ID came from the song “BurNIng” by Maria Arredondo which was introduced to him by his first girlfriend.This era had one of the highest amount of professional Chinese Dota players. EHOME and LGD with 2009, YYF, CH, GX, and ZSMJ created countless classic games, developing into the golden age of Chinese Dota. At WDC we saw YYF’s double buyback ultra-kill Storm Spirit was no match for BurNIng’s Shadow Fiend; at ACG there was ZSMJ’s 43-minute double rapier medusa with 720 last hits was able to turn the game around; and at SMM B-god’s rampage Morphling ended up losing to Alchemist – these splendid moments became unforgettable memories of many Dota fans during their youth.This glorious EHOME team won the China Telecom Cup, Chinese National Team Selection, IEM season 5, the National Esports Open, TopGamer, and Road of the King championships along with other tournaments with relatively high prize money amounts: 2010 SMM, ESWC Chinese qualifiers and ESWC World Cup championships. With this impressive sweep of ten titles, EHOME became the fully deserved leader of Dota in China, and possibly even the world.In 2011, EHOME was affected by the Chinese Dota reshuffle. BurNIng and KingJ left EHOME and joined Team DK, located in YunNan. The 50,000 Yuan transfer fee that came along with it also set a new record for transfer fees in esports. Among BurNIng’s new teammates were Ksssssss, PIS and Benz who were all well-known players in the scene. However their performance in the first half of 2011 was very disappointing. The players did not have fixed positions although they were all famous. The battleship cleaving through the waves that the team was envisioned to be was more like a chunk of metal submerging in the water – with no signs of life.Fortunately in May, BurNIng’s forever true love, rOtk, came to save the day. He took over Ksssssss’s position as team captain, and since then has always quietly stood behind BurNIng. Going into the latter half of the year, DK’s results were less than ideal. Despite being invited to the first International, DK could not attend due to the disappearance of PIS. DK was in a state of disarray, and the team only had 3 players in BurNIng, rOtk and Super. BurNIng ended up making a crucial decision and invited Zippo and LongDD to join DK. At the time, LongDD had parted with EHOME and was on the verge of retirement since he had no place to go. With BurNIng’s trust in him, LongDD’s hunger for a championship was rekindled.Without the glory of having several star players like the original team, this new DK played around BurNIng as a core, and created their own legacy – September’s WuXi International Esport Champion’s Cup saw DK make a comeback against IG.Y, eventually taking the title; ACG China saw DK taking another title; DK was October’s G-League 2011 Season 2 winner, GK99 Yougang Invitational Cup champion without dropping a game, and G1 League Season 3 champion; November’s WDC World champion, ECL Season 4 champion, and G-League season 3 champion; and 2012’s WGT champion. DK had completed their nine championship run before the Spring Festival. DK was unstoppable that year. BurNIng had the best teammates – the stable Super, the witty Zippo, the LongDD whose immense trust in BurNIng was incomparable, and the roaring xb-sama who could weaken the opponent’s fighting capacity by 500% at offline events – rOtk.The DK battleship, silent for such a long time, finally took off its disguise and set sail!Time hurriedly welcomed the era of Dota 2. BurNIng had gone through EHOME’s ten consecutive championships, the success of DK and their nine championships and was given the title as one of the top 3 carries as well as the “First Man of Chinese Dota,” and he could not ask for more. After winning G-1 League and StarsWar7, DK was invited to The International 2012. Sadly, this year did not belong to DK, and did not belong to BurNIng. At TI2, DK fell to Na`Vi, dropping to the lower bracket. In the lower bracket semifinal, DK unfortunately fell to IG, finishing fourth place. During their match against IG, the other four players on DK were afk defending high ground, and BurNIng’s stable play alone could not stand up to the more skilled IG. Their results at TI2 were average, but during their lower bracket match against Darer, B-god impressed fans around the world when he finished his Power Treads, Battlefury, Manta Style and Heart on Anti-mage at 24 minutes. Because of this, BurNIng became an alternate name for Dota 1’s Anti-mage prior to Dota’s 6.77 patch.Rapidly, the post-TI shakeup began. Zippo and LongDD, who helped DK create its nine championship legacy, left the team. BurNIng’s old teammates from EHOME, 357 and MMY, joined DK, thus giving DK the charm of the legendary 2010 EHOME. Be that as it may, 2013 was not destined to be the year of Chinese Dota. Under circumstances created by ACE where S-level teams DK, IG, LGD lacked tournaments and practice throughout the year, these teams ended up being humiliated by Na`Vi and Alliance in quick succession. At TI3, the Swedish Alliance nearly didn’t drop a game and swept the tournament. Only BurNIng’s signature Anti-mage took a hard-fought game off of Alliance (before the finals), breaking Alliance’s zero-loss streak. That year, DK and IG tied for fifth.B-god’s tears after the tournament, the words he whispered in Hao’s ear, his Anti-Mage that won against Alliance and other moments at TI3 all became long-lasting memories for many Dota fans.After TI3, Solo championship winner and runner-up Iceiceice and Mushi joined DK together. The previous core of EHOME, LaNm, and the team’s coach, 71, also joined DK, creating the new dream team. rOtk, Super, and 357 helplessly left the team, but just like LongDD and Zippo before them, there was no one who was discontent with him even when BurNIng was criticized by fans.This dream DK team quickly found their groove. At MLG Columbus in November of 2013, DK defeated Na`Vi and Alliance, who were no longer invincible, but in the end fell to Speed Gaming. However, they weren’t discouraged. At the finals of WPC season one, DK let go of all restrictions after dropping three straight games to IG and resorted to BurNIng’s Clinkz. DK let go of their burdens and played with confidence, and completed a 4-3 comeback after being down 0-3. That was the moment LaNm famously slammed his monitor in excitement. In April at Starladder, BurNIng played nine different carries in nine games, magnificently taking the championship with a clean sweep. At that moment everyone believed this DK could not be defeated, and TI4 would be the best chance that BurNIng has at the title. However, along with the new 6.81 patch, DK became accustomed to losses. At WPC Season 2 and The Summit, DK could not display their previous dominance, losing in the finals to IG and EG respectively.It suddenly was time for TI4 – BurNIng’s last stage. On the first day of group stage, DK underperformed, and a tremendous amount of mental pressure once again gathered onto BurNIng. His drafts played it safe, and many drafts that weren’t optimal for the current patch’s late game had surfaced. At that crucial moment, LaNm took over as the drafter. Five blink daggers chopped up EG, a stroke of genius saw Undying quickly breaking Cloud9, and DK seemingly found a familiar rhythm. Their drafts were unconstrained and fancy, and no one could guess this would be the last DK performance with BurNIng.During their first game in the lower bracket against LGD, DK has a gigantic lead but did not take advantage of it, resulting in LGD making a comeback. After losing that game to LGD, BurNIng told rOtk: “You guys have to get to the finals and take the championship,” which faintly suggested an intention to give up.In the end, this team that gave Dota fans an abundance of wonderful memories lost to VG in the losers' bracket semifinals, ending their run at TI4. BurNIng fell to his previous teammates rOtk and Super, and showcased his signature hero Anti-Mage in his last professional match. In a post-match interview, rOtk held back tears as he said “In China [BurNIng] can be called as the “first man of Dota”, which can also be said worldwide. It’s a shame that he couldn’t retire after winning an International.”On August 17th, 2014, BurNIng and rOtk announced their retirements simultaneously, putting an end to BurNIng’s 6-year Dota career.Looking back at BurNIng’s professional career – I see BurNIng openly discussing how he left EHOME in an interview – he’s got nothing to hide. Even when fans questioned him for kicking out former teammates, he is still the eternal idol of those old teammates. BurNIng would share the funny story with fans of how he played Slardar at G-1 and couldn’t hit his stuns, coining his nickname of Xulada (Silada = Slardar, Xu is BurNIng’s last name); BurNIng would hold back the urge to drink water during his matches because he knows fans like to screenshot and post pictures of him drinking water; BurNIng would practice hard to master the offlane for his team, play a mid Brewmaster, and give up his title as top 3 carry, all to ensure success. There was also a popular question among people on forums to discuss when talking about BurNIng: “How does B-god farm so fast?” BurNIng was open, adorable, was not afraid of change, gifted and incomparably diligent at the same time. In his career he faced ups and downs, experienced all-time lows but every time he would able to quickly back up to his former glory. This is BurNIng. A player people have come to know as B-God.2008 G-League Season 62009 TianYi Cup2010 China Telecom Cup2010 Chinese National Team Selection (Dota)2010 ESWC Chinese qualifiers2010 ESWC2010 IEM Season 52010 National Esports Open2010 TopGamer Season 22010 Road to the King2010 SMM2010 WGT China2011 WuXi International Champions Cup2011 ACG China2011 G-League Season 22011 GK99 Yougang Invitational Cup2011 G-1 League Season 22011 WDC2011 ECL Season 42012 WGT (Dota)2011 G-League Season 32012 G-1 League2012 StarsWar 7 (Dota)2012 It’s Gosu Mini Madness2013 Fengyun Dota 2 Tournament2013 WPC ACE Dota 2 League2013 G-League2014 SinaCup2014 Starladder 9 Chinese qualifiers2014 Starladder 92014 ECL2014 CDEC New Star Challenge2014 V Games Season 2TI1 - Did not participate due to passport issuesTI2 - Fourth PlaceTI3 - Fifth Place (Tied with IG)TI4 - Fourth Place

Heroes of Legend



Each of BurNIng's teams were, at one point or another, considered the best in the world. In the five long years of his professional career, B-God joined together with some of the finest talent to ever grace the scene. No matter how good a single player is, it is his teammates that push him to the absolute zenith.



In 7L:

aNgel_LovEr: His usage of Clockwerk and Tinker were perfect. After crushing Vigoss, his name along with 7L were known to the world. He decided to retire while in the peak of his career.



BurNIng’s assessment: A very stable player who was very hungry for kills, and he is a player who doesn’t use Warkey (software for changing hotkeys) when playing Tinker.



LongDD: Besides BurNIng, he is the player most deserving of the title of “first man of Dota.” His professional career runs through the history of Chinese Dota. After placing fourth at TI2 he switched to commentating and appeared at TI4 as a commentator.



BurNIng’s assessment: Very experienced. His control and awareness are on par. His temper isn’t that great, but I can’t find any other weaknesses.



DanChe: When on 7L he received the title of China’s Top Tidehunter, and retired shortly after. During his time at Panda as a leader, he brought up top-tier talented players such as Mu and Nada. He participated in TI2, TI3 and TI4 as a commentator.



BurNIng’s assessment: He was good at using heroes that could control the game or those that had abilities to attack first.



DGC: After 7L, he joined EHOME, CH, and NV. At one point he held the title of world’s number 1 support. After leaving the Dota scene in September 2011 he switched to League of Legends.



BurNIng’s assessment: Our team’s professional support =。=



In EHOME:



820: He had once fought countless battles as a carry, but he switched to a position 5 support for his team when he joined EHOME. This meant BurNIng had to do better than the expert carry that 820 was before he could start writing his own legacy. 820 retired in September of 2011. He also accomplished impressive feats while he was on WE and LGD as a manager and a coach. Also a commentator, 820 prepared LGD for TI4 and also commentated at the event at the same time. Placed second at TI1.



MMY(X!): Rose to fame from another Dota-like game (Combination of Dota and Dynasty Warriors) where he was on the same team as ZSMJ. Previously he was known as the genius solo, and also used the ID “X!” Because of his incredible performance on tinker at TI1, his name became an alternate name for the hero. Later he changed his ID to “MMY” and took the position of support. Placed second at TI1, fifth at TI2 and TI3, and fourth at TI4.



BurNIng’s assessment: absentminded, lazy



KingJ: KingJ previously had good results on CYC, FTD, EHOME and DK. In Dota 2 he was on Tongfu in 2013 that saved Chinese Dota a little bit of dignity. (Talking about what happened at TI3.) In 2014 he left Newbee before heading out to TI4. Placed fifth at TI2, fourth at TI3.



357 (QQQ): Long-time EHOME veteran who was on the team when they won SMM in 2008 and their later 10 championship run. He was also part of their second-finishing team at TI1. Previously played for Nirvana. He is currently the coach of Vici Gaming. Placed second at TI1, fifth at TI3.



BurNIng’s assessment: He’s a game maniac.



In the original DK:

rOtk (xb): Because of his controversial trash-talking abilities at offline events, rOtk has extremely high popularity. He took on the captain role at TI4’s All-Star Match for Team rOtk, and was declared hands-down the most interesting player by [LiquidDota]. On August 17th, he announced his retirement at the same time as BurNIng. Previously placed fourth at TI2, fifth at TI3, second at TI4.



BurNIng’s assessment: He loves to play and joke around. However he is very serious during matches….and he doesn’t get enough sleep.



Super: Super previously used the ID YueRu (name of a female character in another game), which caused people to call him a female prodigy. When he joined DK in 2011 he changed his ID to Super and at one period was known as China’s number one solo mid. Placed fourth at TI2, fifth at TI3, second at TI4.



BurNIng’s assessment: He can always think of great ideas. An upbeat player, but sometimes he was not that stable. Immanent.



Zippo: Also known as Bao Brother. Previously played for the teams Diety and CD, and was teammates with LongDD, Ferrari_430, Chuan, Zhou and Sansheng. After switching to commentating he attended TI4 as a commentator. Placed fourth at TI2.



BurNIng’s assessment: He has a high sense of responsibility. He always gives it is all to fulfill his own responsibilities.



In the new DK:

LaNm: Just like PiS, he was a pub-star who desired to prove himself in a professional match. During TI2, his Tiny shook up the whole Dota scene. After TI4, LaNm officially retired. His Dota career was legendary and colourful, and perhaps only the upcoming memoir he is releasing will be able to describe its hardships and glory.



BurNIng’s assessment: Diligent



Iceiceice: A Singaporean progamer who previously played SC2 and LOL. He has a cute personality and there’s an endless amount of funny stories about him. How skilled is he? We will let his achievements speak for themselves: third at TI1, fifth at TI2, fourth at TI4.



BurNIng’s assessment: Silly



Mushi: Malaysian progamer who placed seventh at TI2 and third at TI3 on team Orange. In the past few years he’s been known as one of the best solo mids.



BurNIng’s assessment: Strong

Each of BurNIng's teams were, at one point or another, considered the best in the world. In the five long years of his professional career, B-God joined together with some of the finest talent to ever grace the scene. No matter how good a single player is, it is his teammates that push him to the absolute zenith.His usage of Clockwerk and Tinker were perfect. After crushing Vigoss, his name along with 7L were known to the world. He decided to retire while in the peak of his career.BurNIng’s assessment: A very stable player who was very hungry for kills, and he is a player who doesn’t use Warkey (software for changing hotkeys) when playing Tinker.Besides BurNIng, he is the player most deserving of the title of “first man of Dota.” His professional career runs through the history of Chinese Dota. After placing fourth at TI2 he switched to commentating and appeared at TI4 as a commentator.BurNIng’s assessment: Very experienced. His control and awareness are on par. His temper isn’t that great, but I can’t find any other weaknesses.When on 7L he received the title of China’s Top Tidehunter, and retired shortly after. During his time at Panda as a leader, he brought up top-tier talented players such as Mu and Nada. He participated in TI2, TI3 and TI4 as a commentator.BurNIng’s assessment: He was good at using heroes that could control the game or those that had abilities to attack first.After 7L, he joined EHOME, CH, and NV. At one point he held the title of world’s number 1 support. After leaving the Dota scene in September 2011 he switched to League of Legends.BurNIng’s assessment: Our team’s professional support =。=He had once fought countless battles as a carry, but he switched to a position 5 support for his team when he joined EHOME. This meant BurNIng had to do better than the expert carry that 820 was before he could start writing his own legacy. 820 retired in September of 2011. He also accomplished impressive feats while he was on WE and LGD as a manager and a coach. Also a commentator, 820 prepared LGD for TI4 and also commentated at the event at the same time. Placed second at TI1.Rose to fame from another Dota-like game (Combination of Dota and Dynasty Warriors) where he was on the same team as ZSMJ. Previously he was known as the genius solo, and also used the ID “X!” Because of his incredible performance on tinker at TI1, his name became an alternate name for the hero. Later he changed his ID to “MMY” and took the position of support. Placed second at TI1, fifth at TI2 and TI3, and fourth at TI4.BurNIng’s assessment: absentminded, lazyKingJ previously had good results on CYC, FTD, EHOME and DK. In Dota 2 he was on Tongfu in 2013 that saved Chinese Dota a little bit of dignity. (Talking about what happened at TI3.) In 2014 he left Newbee before heading out to TI4. Placed fifth at TI2, fourth at TI3.Long-time EHOME veteran who was on the team when they won SMM in 2008 and their later 10 championship run. He was also part of their second-finishing team at TI1. Previously played for Nirvana. He is currently the coach of Vici Gaming. Placed second at TI1, fifth at TI3.BurNIng’s assessment: He’s a game maniac.Because of his controversial trash-talking abilities at offline events, rOtk has extremely high popularity. He took on the captain role at TI4’s All-Star Match for Team rOtk, and was declared hands-down the most interesting player by [LiquidDota]. On August 17th, he announced his retirement at the same time as BurNIng. Previously placed fourth at TI2, fifth at TI3, second at TI4.BurNIng’s assessment: He loves to play and joke around. However he is very serious during matches….and he doesn’t get enough sleep.Super previously used the ID YueRu (name of a female character in another game), which caused people to call him a female prodigy. When he joined DK in 2011 he changed his ID to Super and at one period was known as China’s number one solo mid. Placed fourth at TI2, fifth at TI3, second at TI4.BurNIng’s assessment: He can always think of great ideas. An upbeat player, but sometimes he was not that stable. Immanent.Also known as Bao Brother. Previously played for the teams Diety and CD, and was teammates with LongDD, Ferrari_430, Chuan, Zhou and Sansheng. After switching to commentating he attended TI4 as a commentator. Placed fourth at TI2.BurNIng’s assessment: He has a high sense of responsibility. He always gives it is all to fulfill his own responsibilities.Just like PiS, he was a pub-star who desired to prove himself in a professional match. During TI2, his Tiny shook up the whole Dota scene. After TI4, LaNm officially retired. His Dota career was legendary and colourful, and perhaps only the upcoming memoir he is releasing will be able to describe its hardships and glory.BurNIng’s assessment: DiligentA Singaporean progamer who previously played SC2 and LOL. He has a cute personality and there’s an endless amount of funny stories about him. How skilled is he? We will let his achievements speak for themselves: third at TI1, fifth at TI2, fourth at TI4.BurNIng’s assessment: SillyMalaysian progamer who placed seventh at TI2 and third at TI3 on team Orange. In the past few years he’s been known as one of the best solo mids.BurNIng’s assessment: Strong

Farewell to God



The Path to Retirement

During the finals of the WCG 2012 Chinese qualifiers on October 26th, 2012, BurNIng declared he was preparing for TI3, and would retire afterwards regardless of the result.



During G-League Season 5 finals in May 2013, when asked in an interview if he will delay his retirement, BurNIng denied, and claimed he might become a commentator after he retires. At that moment, BurNIng’s decision to retire seemed certain.



During ECL’s offline event on July 13th, 2013, BurNIng slightly softened up. “After this year, I think there’s a 90% chance that I’ll retire.”





Committing to a farewell



On August 9th 2013, DK won against IG at TI3, moving on to the winners' bracket semifinals. In a post-match interview, when asked again if he was going to retire, BurNIng began to waver, claiming that it’ll be decided on how he does at TI3.



On August 12th, TI3 officially came to a close with DK finishing fifth. During an interview BurNIng said: “I have experienced the glory of winning, but I have also experienced the lows from losses. At this current moment the thing I want the most is to experience another reign, to once again bask in that glory, and then gloriously retire.” These words from BurNIng conveyed his aspirations for TI4, and can be seen as officially changing his decision to retire after TI3.



On May 21st, 2014, DK won Starladder with a clean sweep. After the tournament, BurNIng was asked again about his plans to retire, but BurNIng kept people guessing and did not give out any information.



On July 24th, TI4 ended. BurNIng posted a thought-provoking paragraph on weibo, but his retirement plans were still unknown.



On August 17th, 2014, the news which DK and their fans were scared of hearing about finally came. BurNIng officially announced his retirement on weibo.



Giving BurNIng their Best

Dota2 weibo: Best regards B-god! Best regards rOtk! Hope your new commentator team together will bring gamers even more splendidness!



DK official weibo: It’s a new beginning, GL HF! BurNIng add oil!



Teammate – Lanm: So in the end you decided not to keep playing. As a fan who grew up watching your replays, I want to say: BurNIng all the best. The road ahead is rough, I hope glory will be with you.



Ex-teammate – LongDD: Lei-god fighting, and while I’m at it I wanted to ask, you’re not on the team against me, right?



Old rival – Zhou: Yesterday my old rival retired, there’s a lot of emotions, and I welcome him to the commentator world and continuing to contribute to the Dota scene. Yesterday I also had to rest for an entire day to adjust to the jetlag.



Old rival – IG: Best wishes!



LGD: Best wishes BurNIng!



CDEC: As BurNIng retires, only ZSMJ is left from the top 3 carries who is still chasing his TI dream. Best wishes B-god, and at the same time looking forward to ZSMJ fulfilling his dream!



DC: There’s a lot of things I want to say, take care! Excited for your commentary with rOtk!



Little B-god, Black: Farewell Idol, Teacher and good friend. Im sad that you will leave the scene as player, but hope that you can stick around to teach or cast. Thanksfor everything, I've learned a lot from you in DotA and in real life too. You will be missed, but you will be in our hearts forever.



Sansheng: B-god I remember you were already fully demonstrating your abilities when on TTI. I’ve played with you in this scene for so many years, and watching the number of familiar faces around me slowly decline, I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Hope your tomorrow will be even better!



Sky: Hope your future journey is even better!



Closing Words

This generation’s legend, BurNIng’s story has finally ended. This most legendary and colourful player in the history of Chinese Dota officially announced his retirement on August 17th, 2014. 33 championships, the alternate name for Anti-mage, the publicly approved best carry in the world, the idol in the hearts of many professional gamers – although the ID BurNIng may never appear on the Dota stage again, this name will always be remembered in our hearts.



Just like B-god said “If I retire, I will not be far and I will not be out.” On behalf of all of DK’s diehard fans I want to tell B-god, take care!





Credits:

Translator: Monv18hao

Original article:

Gfx: fusefuse

Editors: Kupon3ss, Sn0_man

Photos: Valve (header), dota2.178.com (content)

Translator: Monv18haoOriginal article: dota2.178.com Gfx: fusefuseEditors: Kupon3ss, Sn0_manPhotos: Valve (header), dota2.178.com (content)

During the finals of the WCG 2012 Chinese qualifiers on October 26th, 2012, BurNIng declared he was preparing for TI3, and would retire afterwards regardless of the result.During G-League Season 5 finals in May 2013, when asked in an interview if he will delay his retirement, BurNIng denied, and claimed he might become a commentator after he retires. At that moment, BurNIng’s decision to retire seemed certain.During ECL’s offline event on July 13th, 2013, BurNIng slightly softened up. “After this year, I think there’s a 90% chance that I’ll retire.”On August 9th 2013, DK won against IG at TI3, moving on to the winners' bracket semifinals. In a post-match interview, when asked again if he was going to retire, BurNIng began to waver, claiming that it’ll be decided on how he does at TI3.On August 12th, TI3 officially came to a close with DK finishing fifth. During an interview BurNIng said: “I have experienced the glory of winning, but I have also experienced the lows from losses. At this current moment the thing I want the most is to experience another reign, to once again bask in that glory, and then gloriously retire.” These words from BurNIng conveyed his aspirations for TI4, and can be seen as officially changing his decision to retire after TI3.On May 21st, 2014, DK won Starladder with a clean sweep. After the tournament, BurNIng was asked again about his plans to retire, but BurNIng kept people guessing and did not give out any information.On July 24th, TI4 ended. BurNIng posted a thought-provoking paragraph on weibo, but his retirement plans were still unknown.On August 17th, 2014, the news which DK and their fans were scared of hearing about finally came. BurNIng officially announced his retirement on weibo.: Best regards B-god! Best regards rOtk! Hope your new commentator team together will bring gamers even more splendidness!: It’s a new beginning, GL HF! BurNIng add oil!: So in the end you decided not to keep playing. As a fan who grew up watching your replays, I want to say: BurNIng all the best. The road ahead is rough, I hope glory will be with you.: Lei-god fighting, and while I’m at it I wanted to ask, you’re not on the team against me, right?: Yesterday my old rival retired, there’s a lot of emotions, and I welcome him to the commentator world and continuing to contribute to the Dota scene. Yesterday I also had to rest for an entire day to adjust to the jetlag.: Best wishes!: Best wishes BurNIng!: As BurNIng retires, only ZSMJ is left from the top 3 carries who is still chasing his TI dream. Best wishes B-god, and at the same time looking forward to ZSMJ fulfilling his dream!: There’s a lot of things I want to say, take care! Excited for your commentary with rOtk!: Farewell Idol, Teacher and good friend. Im sad that you will leave the scene as player, but hope that you can stick around to teach or cast. Thanksfor everything, I've learned a lot from you in DotA and in real life too. You will be missed, but you will be in our hearts forever.: B-god I remember you were already fully demonstrating your abilities when on TTI. I’ve played with you in this scene for so many years, and watching the number of familiar faces around me slowly decline, I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Hope your tomorrow will be even better!: Hope your future journey is even better!This generation’s legend, BurNIng’s story has finally ended. This most legendary and colourful player in the history of Chinese Dota officially announced his retirement on August 17th, 2014. 33 championships, the alternate name for Anti-mage, the publicly approved best carry in the world, the idol in the hearts of many professional gamers – although the ID BurNIng may never appear on the Dota stage again, this name will always be remembered in our hearts.Just like B-god said “If I retire, I will not be far and I will not be out.” On behalf of all of DK’s diehard fans I want to tell B-god, take care! “拿梦想当赌注 我怎么舍得输” -ZSMJ