Chinese Dota 2 Shoutcaster Mi “Yammers” Hongwei Passes Away at 26

A photo of Yammers taken by Hongyu Chen.

We are sad to report that on May 29, Chinese Dota 2 official shoutcaster Mi “Yammers” Hongwei posted a timed statement on social media Weibo that he had taken his own life due to childhood bullying and long-term depression. His last personal post on WeChat Moment (similar to Instagram) about his location was in Erhai Lake, Yunnan (China). The Esports Advocate writer Hongyu Chen spoke with Yunnan Police and confirmed that he had passed away. On May 30, Dota 2 Chinese distributor Perfect World also confirmed this sad news through its Dota 2 official Weibo.

His statement about childhood bullying and long-term depression has raised vast awareness of mental health and school bullying issues in Chinese society, with multiple mainstream Chinese publications having reported this news.

Hongwei was one of the casting voices of Chinese Dota 2 at The International 2019-2022, Dota 2 Asia Invitational 2018, Dota 2 Shanghai SuperMajor, 2021 Singapore Major, Kyiv AniMajor, 2022 Arlington Major, and China Dota Pro Circuit. 

We offer our deepest condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Yammers. May he rest in peace.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, it’s okay to share your feelings and to talk to someone.  Find immediate resources at the International Association for Suicide Prevention,  988lifeline.org, or call or text 988.

Editor’s note: we have updated this story to fix the headline and apologize to our readers for the editing error.