The Greatest Comeback in DotA 2 History: The Return of Ceb

Sébastien Debs, commonly known as Ceb, returned from retirement to step in for an ESL One Stockholm Major. This time, it is different. Different teammates. Different playstyles. Different opponents. Initially, the team performed badly and ended up being in the lower bracket. From here on, they had to win every single game to win the tournament. It isn’t impossible, but the probability is pretty low. The margin for error was slim. Lo and behold, in standard OG fashion, the team clawed their way to championship once more. Here is a quote from Ceb that gave me goosebumps:

“I’ve played so many Dota games for so long now. Different periods, different captains from all over the world. I feel like I’ve seen so much that it is just intuitive. I just read the game. I just understand what is going to happen. I’m a big believer of instinct. I think instinct is one of the most precious things we have.

Instinct isn’t random at all. Instinct is 20 years of experience; kind of compressed.

Everything you’ve seen, heart, felt and all the lessons that you’ve learned on a daily basis for the entirety of your life, that is your instinct. And your instinct actually always tells you the right thing. Instinct is who you are and what fits you. And I think you should listen to it — always.”

There are some individuals who have achieved the absolute peak of their careers, retired and never once looked back. Think along the lines of Lin Dan and Mike Tyson. We would imagine that it would be the same for Ceb. Being part of the first and last team to ever win back-to-back TI championships, Ceb is easily one of the most recognisable legends in the DotA scene. It makes sense to end your career on a high/highest note, it feels good. But for whatever reason that you’ve not given it your all, that you’ve still got something left on the field, the blazing urge of “what if” lingers on. What a comeback, Ceb.