“It’s not worth it”: zombs announces retirement from pro Valorant

Professional Valorant competitor Jared “zombs” Gitlin has made the significant decision to step away from competitive play entirely, marking a major career transition for the experienced FPS athlete.

The player had occupied a substitute position with Sentinels since their April 2022 acquisition of Eric “Kanpeki” Xu. During the offseason period, all ten partnered Valorant Champions Tour organizations in North America finalized their competitive lineups. Sentinels secured Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi, Bryan “pANcada” Luna, Rory “dephh” Jackson, and Hunter “SicK” Mims, resulting in zombs maintaining his bench position.

Many within the esports community anticipated zombs might transition to a Challengers division team. However, the player elected to completely withdraw from professional competition. His surprising declaration during a November 24 broadcast left the Valorant competitive scene in a state of disbelief.

zombs reveals future plans in Valorant

While broadcasting Valorant gameplay sessions, zombs disclosed he had been “dominating opponents in practice matches” throughout recent weeks, while also noting he had discontinued scrimmage participation. This revelation generated curiosity among followers regarding his cessation of training, though zombs promptly clarified the circumstances.

According to the typically candid competitor, several organizations expressed interest in acquiring him, but he ultimately traveled to Los Angeles for discussions with Sentinels ownership that significantly altered his career trajectory.

“I now have no desire to depart from Sentinels. I plan to remain with the organization indefinitely,” zombs disclosed during his stream.

However, his continued association won’t involve competitive participation. zombs acknowledged that returning to professional competition no longer represented a worthwhile endeavor for his career.

“I have identified opportunities that provide superior long-term prospects,” zombs explained.

The specific nature of Sentinels’ plans for zombs remains uncertain, though widespread speculation suggests he will transition into a full-time streaming role or content creation position.

zombs has maintained affiliation with Sentinels since their early developmental phase, “when the organization had minimal social media presence.” The skilled first-person shooter specialist originally joined the organization in 2019 as an Apex Legends professional following his retirement from Overwatch competition. For approximately one year, zombs achieved dominance within the Apex Legends competitive landscape before pivoting to Valorant upon the game’s official release.

During his tenure as a starting roster member, zombs guided Sentinels to supremacy within the North American competitive environment. The squad additionally captured the prestigious VCT 2021 Stage 2 Masters Reykjavik championship title. Regrettably, Sentinels’ position at the competitive apex proved relatively short-lived. The team failed to qualify for international tournaments throughout 2022, precipitating substantial roster modifications.

“Competitive video gaming differs substantially from public perception,” zombs confessed. “People must comprehend the extreme difficulty of assembling a complete five-player roster that maintains perfect synchronization. The probability resembles one-in-a-million odds. Every competitive team encounters persistent challenges. Frequently, compensation levels don’t justify dedicating years to intensive practice,” zombs revealed.

“The esports industry operates like an unregulated frontier territory. Participants frequently engage in mutually detrimental practices,” he further elaborated.

The community must await zombs’ forthcoming announcements regarding his next professional endeavors within the gaming industry.

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