Looking back, I probably should have made this decision at the start of the year. At the time, I was still riding the momentum from last year’s results, and it’s hard to walk away when things feel like they’re still within reach.
Over the past few months, I gave it one last serious push—chasing the goal of reaching Rank 1 on the Korean ladder. I fell short, peaking in the top 10, which is something I’ve achieved before. That, in itself, forced me to confront a bigger reality about my career.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to become the best jungler in the world—to win a World Championship and prove that I could reach the very top. While I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, the outcomes ultimately didn’t match the scale of that ambition.
I started from the bottom—around 900 elo—and built everything through persistence. I was always the one saying “queue again” after every loss. That mindset carried me far, but it also came at a cost. For the past decade, I’ve been entirely results-driven, and in many ways, I neglected other parts of my life along the way.
Now, at 27, I’m taking a step back and reflecting—not just on what I achieved, but also on what I sacrificed. That reflection isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.
Before esports, my first passion was soccer. That dream ended early when I realized I couldn’t compete at the level I wanted due to physical limitations. League of Legends became the game where I felt those limitations didn’t define me, and I poured everything into it.
I want to thank everyone who supported me and understood my mindset during that time. And to those who may have seen me as overly intense or difficult—I understand why. I was singularly focused on winning, sometimes at the expense of everything else.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that guidance matters. Having the right mentor or structure can change everything. Opportunities in this space are limited, and timing plays a bigger role than people like to admit.
Moving forward, I’m transitioning into coaching under the name “coachfire.” I’ll be working with Sanspareil and sharing everything I’ve learned over the past 10 years—focused on improvement, climbing, and the competitive mindset.
I don’t yet have all the answers about what comes next, and that uncertainty is something I’m learning to accept. What I do know is that League was an important chapter in my life—but it won’t be the last one.
