2021 saw the last ever Overwatch League (OWL) championship come close, crowning the Shanghai Dragons as one of the last teams ever to win Overwatch’s most prestigious event. With Overwatch 2 around the corner, and the OWL looking to transition its next competitive season over to an early game build, the Overwatch scene has seen some high-profile departures lately. The New York Excelsior recently split with Bang ‘JJoNak’ Sung-hyeon after JJoNak spent most of his professional career on their roster. Now, Hong ‘Gesture’ Jae-hee from Seoul Dynasty will be retiring from the Overwatch scene and professional gaming entirely. 

In a TwitLonger, Gesture announced his retirement from professional Overwatch and professional gaming in general. “I don’t know what I will be and I won’t be pro gamer Gesture,” says Gesture, “but I will never forget all the emotions and the love that I got.” Gesture notes that he will return to his fans with any future announcements regarding any future decisions about his career. 

Gesture’s career in Overwatch includes winning the inaugural season playoffs of the OWL and attending every playoffs stage for the OWL, except for 2021. Before his career in professional Overwatch, Gesture once played professional League of Legends with Japanese teams Rascal Jester and 7th heaven before he entered into professional Overwatch.

As the OWL transitions to Overwatch 2 and its new 5v5 player-versus-player format, it’s not surprising to see many teams split with their players or players retire from the game as they may feel like they will not have a spot in future rosters for Overwatch 2. 

Gesture will not be the only Overwatch pro-community member to part with the Seoul Dynasty, as Chang ‘Changgoon’ Geun Park, the Dynasty’s former coach, announced his departure on the 11th–according to a tweet posted on his Twitter account.

Most of the announcements coming from the pro Overwatch community are to be expected after the OWL season has ended, with many players looking for more lucrative opportunities elsewhere or to compete for other teams in the hopes of better results next season. It’s a shame that Gesture, one of OWL’s most recognizable Winstons, will no longer be competing in professional Overwatch.

As of the writing of this article, the Seoul Dynasty only has three active players listed on their roster.