After taking a long 16-month retirement, Gong ‘Miro’ JinHyuk has returned. The renowned Overwatch Pro posted the following statement on his social media account:
“Hello, all. I’m currently FA and looking for an OW team. There were some personal problems at the time of retirement but those are now solved so I want to give it another chance to my career as a pro. I’ve learned and grown so much from my experiences and I’m confident I’ll do better.”
Lunatic-Hai
Miro initiated his career in 2019 August by joining the Overwatch team called Lunatic-Hai. Miro quickly established himself globally as a skilled player. As the number of competitions he participated in grew, so did his reputation as one of the best tank leads in the world.
Lunatic-Hai was the main reason for his growing success in the gaming industry. After joining Lunatic-Hai, Miro involved himself in the first Overwatch World Cup 2016. Miro, along with his team representing South Korea, won gold without losing any single map on their route to the top of the podium. Miro also won an award for his contribution to this achievement.
The Godfather
He didn’t stop there. Miro expanded the trophy section of the Lunatic-Hai in Overwatch Apex Season 2 and 3 both. At this point, he was one of the best leading players in the world. No one even came close to his ‘main tanks.’ He was known as the ‘Godfather’ of tanks as he transformed the traditional way of playing the tank Hero Winston.
Overwatch League
Miro’s successful ventures from 2016 landed him with the Soul Dynasty Company. This opportunity granted him a place in the launching of the Overwatch League. He discovered his shortcomings while not being able to compete with the slow freeze style of gaming. This shift, along with some personal issues, resulted in poor performances during competitions. Due to the meta shift, he also had to change his character from Winston to Reinhardt.
Miro’s failure to appear as dominant with Reinhardt in comparison to Winston also became the underlying cause of not doing well. This situation served as a good reason for Miro to be replaced with a substitute, ultimately resulting in his leave from Soul Dynasty after the 2019 OWL season, which did not go well. He also announced his retirement and chose to stream under GengG, a parent company of the Soul Dynasty.
ComeBack
It has been a year since Miro has made an appearance anywhere in the gaming zone, yet his recent announcement to return suggests he is indeed planning to come back to his glory days.
The possibility of him returning to his high ranks is a question still to be left answered. Miro has many obstacles to face. Firstly, he has not been playing for 16 months. This long break might affect his performance, and he definitely would require more time to get back on track. The game also has changed a lot since Miro has left, with the inclusion of Winston returning. While Miro is confident in his stance that he will be successful again, it remains a mystery.
Lastly, the sighting of Winston in new competitions again is significant as Miro’s powerplay is back in the game. Winston is said to also be in the OWL, even if it’s not a widely popular pick. There will still be a delay in Miro’s participation in the OWL. He primarily will have to prove himself to other Korean pro-players. He may have to return to smaller competitions. Miro needs to earn his grand ‘Godfather’ image back to emerge at the top again.
