CaoMei retires from Competitive League of Legends

World Elite loses another one of its players from its IPL 5 roster to retirement. This time, Wei "CaoMei" Handong, the team's top laner, has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the X Championship Series.

In his statement, CaoMei thanks his fans and his team for the best moments of his life over the past three years. He also tells fans he is as yet unsure as to what he will do in the future.

During World Elite's prime, he was known as both "King" and "First Blood CaoMei" for his time at the top of the solo queue ladder and WE's tendency to win games after he gave away first blood. One of the most memorable moments for fans internationally was his Rengar play at IPL 5.

CaoMei's popularity in China has been something of a phenomenon over the years. In AllStars 2014, he received more votes than any other single player in the world. He is also known for his kindness and willingness to mentor other players.

CaoMei's retirement decision follows the split of World Elite last December. With the departure of Feng "Fzzf" Zhuojun and Ming "Clearlove" Kai to Edward Gaming and the retirement of Yu "Misaya" Jingxi, Gao "WeiXiao" Xuecheng remains the only member of WE's internationally dominant lineup. A tweet from Chinese esports journalist, Ryan Luwei, suggests that WeiXiao's retirement announcement will follow shortly.

Earlier this year, another popular Chinese top laner from Invictus Gaming, Liu "PDD" Mou retired. CaoMei and PDD serve as a pair in many fan recollections for their frequent duels on Summoner's Rift.