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Jimmy "DeMoN" Ho on leaving Team Liquid
After a brief stint that saw the team place just shy of the top 8, Jimmy Ho has his sights set anew.
Jimmy Ho Leaves Team Liquid for New Experiences
© Red Bull Content Pool
After several months as a free agent, Red Bull's own Jimmy "DeMoN" Ho seemed to have settled down for a bit by joining Team Liquid. However, with TI4 behind us and a new year of professional Dota 2 about to begin the partners' contract has come to an end, and Ho is once again free to determine his destiny.
For him, it was a test of what's to come and what new endeavors and opportunities might be on the horizon.
Testing the Waters
"I wanted this to be a test run," he told us over the phone. Despite urgings from Team Liquid management to go all in for an extended contract, Jimmy had doubts. "After The International there's usually a lot of shuffling on teams, and I didn't know if I wanted to go back to school."
Returning to the world of higher education is a common reason for eSports players making a temporary exit. Arif "MSS" Anwar, formerly of Mousesports, did the very same thing just a few weeks ago. After all, most pro players are still incredibly young - between the late teens and early 20s - and though DeMoN was quick to point out that the scene is lucrative enough to support himself, a college degree still has benefits. While Liquid and DeMoN did eventually opt for a shorter agreement (during which time he adopted the name "Pegasus"), he won't be working toward a college degree just yet.
A Time to Recalibrate
"Unfortunately I couldn't get the one or two classes I wanted to take and still be a full-time," he said. as a result, DeMoN will continue full-time for the time being, saying he wants "to focus on playing, and improving [himself] as a player."
What does that mean? For now: recuperation. DeMoN just attended a Red Bull training camp in Hawaii, before taking a brief vacation in Las Vegas. To keep himself sharp in the interim, the player intends to focus on streaming his games while determining his future.
When asked for details about which teams he may be speaking with, he was vague. He alluded that he may investigate helping to start a new team - even one outside of strictly North American players - should it seem like the best option leading up to TI5.
A new batch of players might be just the thing for Ho, who it was rumored didn't see eye-to-eye with every member of Team Liquid. He and Peter "Wayto" Nguyen reportedly didn't always resonate, as they butted heads over the support and offlane positions. We asked if this had anything to do with DeMoN's decision not to renegotiate a new contract.
Jimmy "DeMoN" Ho
© Cameron Baird / Red Bull Content Pool
Conflicted Future
"We had a lot of conflicts... personalities with each other," he explained about his relationship with Wayto. "We tried to resolve it, and Red Bull really helped us a lot. All in all, during the game we clashed and things didn't work out. He's still a cool guy, and I wish him the best."
Interestingly, Wayto left Team Liquid shortly after DeMoN, leaving the team with only three permanent players. In the former's case, however, it seems education was the reason as he will temporarily returning to school, with plans to re-enter in the future. If his conflict with Ho had anything to do with the decision, it wasn't the only factor.
Conflict or not, DeMoN needs to consider his future soon. The post-International lull won't last forever, as events like Star Ladder are fast approaching. For the time being, however, and the former Liquid employee puts it simply, and perhaps best.
"My future is still undetermined."
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