Valorant legend FNS reveals retirement plan in ongoing exodus of VCT’s biggest stars

Longtime Valorant and former Counter-Strike pro FNS revealed on stream that he is planning on retiring after 2025 as the season will be his in VCT.

The Canadian Valorant star said on his stream on September 25 that it is “very likely” that he won’t compete in 2026, claiming it doesn’t make sense for him personally to continue, or for teams to continue to look at him.

“There’s so much talent in North America now, actually the world, that it would be cool to see other people also get the spot and get a chance to play, there’s just no point. And for me, I want to do other things,” FNS said.

The esports veteran said he wants to do something outside of competing since that’s what he has been doing “all the way from my twenties into my thirties.”

FNS has been competing in esports since he was 20 years old in 2012, and switched to Valorant in 2020 after playing for various North American CS:GO teams. The NRG Esports player is 32 years old, and he’s one of the oldest players across the VCT Leagues.

He explained that he plans to “go hard” this year and give it everything he can before calling it quits. The veteran already has one major Valorant tournament win, Masters Reykjavík, and has a litany of appearances on the esport’s international stage.

FNS is joining an expanding list of star Valorant players who are leaving the esport. While TenZ and Sacy surprised the entire VCT community with their retirement announcements, FNS is laying it out for fans months before he takes on his final season.

Whether the veteran will stick to his plan remains to be seen, even though he sounds fairly confident that he wants to do something outside of competitive gaming. The 30-year-old player isn’t known for his mechanical skill but is heralded as a tactical mind which could still be helpful for some rosters past 2025.

FNS has massively grown his social following after his switch and success in Valorant. He could fall into content creator status like TenZ in his post-competition era, or stick around in esports as a coach or general manager.

Regardless, FNS fans should watch his 2025 campaign closely, as it will most likely be his last time on stage.