I logged on to reply to a message from a friend and peeked in on this topic.
I probably should have explained my farewell in the OP, but for what it's worth to those who might care, I did not leave because I lost the Grandmaster title. I left because I realized that I was devoting an absurd amount of time to that match and to elements as a whole, which was affecting my RL. I have accomplished more in elements than I ever expected and I have made a lot of friends. I probably should have left a long time ago, but I loved this game too much.
Good luck to all in EtG and in RL.
deuce