The Dota 2 esports community has been rocked by the tragic death of Chinese caster Mi ‘Yammers’ Hongwei at the age of 26.
The community learned of Yammers’ death after he posted a suicide note on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. He gave a detailed account of the abuse he suffered for several years and revealed that he had been battling depression since his father’s death, in 2019.
The news of his passing has left the Dota 2 community in shock. Yammers was regarded as one of the best Chinese casters in the scene, with an impressive résumé that included three The International appearances (2019, 2021 and 2022).
网友投稿5月29日，Dota2赛事解说YammerS已经确认离世。在遗书中，细数了自己的抑郁症，原生家庭，儿时经受过中铁领导子女的霸凌等导致轻生的重要原因。 pic.twitter.com/HOQVauQLAO
— 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele) May 29, 2023
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
At TI 9 and TI 11, he got his own chat wheel audio line: “再见了宝贝儿!”, which translates to “Goodbye, Baby!”.
On the official Dota 2 subreddit, several users expressed sadness and heartbreak over Yammers’ death. Some even called on Valve and Perfect World to find a way to pay tribute to the former caster. The upcoming TI event in Seattle would be a good chance to do so after he was part of the official Chinese broadcast for the event’s previous three iterations.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or know anyone that is, and you would like to talk to someone, please reach out and call the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).