Valorant Legend TenZ Retires From Esports

Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, one of the most iconic names in competitive VALORANT, has officially retired from professional esports. On September 14, 2024, TenZ announced via social media that TenZ would be stepping away from competitive play after a standout career that spanned several years.

Below is a a transcription of the farewell speech TenZ posted on his Instagram account:

“Today, I am announcing that I am retiring from competitive VALORANT. Obviously, this wasn’t an easy decision for me to make but it is one that I made at the start of this year, I told myself this is my last year, and I wanted to put my all into this year and just see how it went. Fortunately enough, we were able to claim a trophy in Madrid, so that was pretty awesome. Definitely, something that I am glad we were able to do. I didn’t want to leave my career at a low point like how 2023 was. I’m definitely really glad that we were able to win in some capacity for this year and for my closure year. It was a very nice memory. Initially, going into the Champions tour this year and before we flew, I actually told all my teammates in person that this would be my last year of playing. They understood my decisions.

“With just so much success that my content creation has, it definitely was just a no-brainer for me in regard to how much effort, work, and how much of your life is taken up by being a competitive player. So for 2024, I definitely poured my heart into this year and tried to be the best that I could, even switching roles to a role that I’ve never played in my life. I just wanted to be the best teammate that I could be and be the best player that I could be.”

“I want to give a big thank you to all my teammates that I’ve had throughout my time with Sentinels, it’s been amazing and there have been a lot of high points, a lot of low points. We were able to claim to international trophies at the end of my time with Sentinels. I am just really glad that I kind of leave my mark within VALORANT history and be remembered for that.”

Initially rising to fame as a skilled FPS player in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS), TenZ transitioned to VALORANT in 2020, quickly becoming a dominant force in the game. During his time with Sentinels, TenZ played a pivotal role in their 2021 VALORANT Masters Reykjavik victory, the first international VALORANT Champions Tour tournament, solidifying his status as one of the best players in the world.