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Fy Opens Up About TI12 Earnings and His Streaming Journey

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Fy Opens Up About TI12 Earnings and His Streaming Journey

Xu “fy” Linsen, who played for Azure Ray at The International 2023, has revealed his TI12 earnings and explained why he put his Dota career on hold to pursue full-time streaming

Xu “fy” Linsen, who played the support role with Azure Ray during The International 2023, recently explained why he decided to pause his career as a professional Dota 2 player and shifted gears to become a streamer. The 28-year-old left Azure Ray after TI12, and now he has provided a comprehensive and insightful explanation behind this crucial career decision.

Why Did fy Take A Break From Dota 2 And Decided To Become A Streamer?

The ultimate social media source for the Chinese Dota scene, CN Dota In A Nutshell, published a series of tweets quoting the former Azure Ray support player.

“The owner of AR treats us very well, although I refused his offer to continue playing. However, I also refused offers from other teams because I made such a promise to him. That's why I decided to become a streamer,” the X profile quotes fy.

He also reflected on his experience during TI12, emphasizing that he approached the competition casually.

“At TI12 I was just playing and having fun with Somnus and Chalice. We weren't thinking about winning, but after TI12 I felt like I couldn't play like that anymore, even with that mindset. Fourth place at TI12 brought me about 100 thousand yuan ( $14,000 USD).”

Fy says that the financial insecurity led him to believe that streaming would be a better career choice.

“Vici Gaming, meanwhile, still hasn’t paid me my salary. Since we didn't ask for a salary at Azure Ray, I can only make money by streaming, which is partly why it's hard for me to continue performing in the pro scene. This is my last year or two in the Dota 2 pro scene.”

“I think I have to take it very seriously, so I can't stream at the same time. And if I start streaming only after 2 years, I may miss the opportunity to make money from it because the conditions will get worse.”

In a previous disclosure, fy shared that he made an attempt at simultaneously managing professional gaming and streaming. This attempt didn't go as planned, leaving him feeling depleted and fatigued.

Fy Leaves Azure Ray On A High

As the 2023 competitive season drew to a close, fy and Azure Ray joined forces after securing YBB Gaming's slot in the Dota Pro Circuit. A newly established team of five proficient Dota 2 players, all well-known within the Chinese esports community, showcased their talent at the Bali Major, concluding with a notable 7th-8th place finish. Subsequently, they surged forward to claim victory in the Chinese TI12 qualifier.

Fy Opens Up About TI12 Earnings and His Streaming Journey

Photo Credit: Azure Ray

The strides made by Azure Ray at TI12 were nothing short of remarkable, marking a significant leap in performance as they secured a top-four placement despite being in only their third event as a collective unit.

For fy, however, TI12 seemed to echo a familiar sentiment—a tale of coming agonizingly close to the championship glory yet not quite reaching the summit. Throughout his storied career in Dota 2, fy has been on the cusp of claiming The International title multiple times. His list of near-misses includes a runner-up finish at TI4, a fourth place at TI5, another second place at TI8, a third place at TI9, and now, securing the fourth position at TI12.

Fy Opens Up About TI12 Earnings and His Streaming Journey
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