Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong cites a decline in passion for the game as his reason to step back from the active roster of Talon Esports indefinitely.
THAILAND – Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong is taking an indefinite break from competitive play due to “experiencing a decline in passion” for VALORANT, the 20-year-old revealed on Twitter today. This decision comes after uncertainty about his future, particularly during his absence at the 2023 ESL Clash of Nations when the new Talon Esports roster finished second following defeats to domestic tier-two rivals FULL SENSE and Team NKT.
In a statement, Talon Esports revealed that Patiphan will not be traveling to Korea early next year but instead remain in Thailand close to his family. The organization further stressed that Patiphan’s role within the team is “important” and that they “look forward to having him in due time”.
“For some time now, I’ve been experiencing a decline in my passion for the game. Even logging in to play has become difficult, and I find myself in a constant struggle. It wouldn’t be fair to my teammates for me to continue when thoughts of stepping away are constantly on my mind. While I have confidence in my ability to play at the highest level, I know I won’t be in the best state of mind which potentially risks bad outcomes for everyone involved, and that’s not the player or teammate I want to be.”
“I can’t tell when I’ll regain my competitive drive, but I know it will happen, and when it does, I will come back stronger than ever.”
(Photo courtesy of VCT Pacific)
This change comes amid a tough period for Talon Esports, who concluded the 2023 VCT season in less than ideal form that many saw compared to their stellar display at the kickoff event in São Paulo. On a personal level, Patiphan has found it challenging to match the high standard of play he maintained before moving to the Overwatch League in 2022, which led to a ninth-place finish in the VCT Pacific League.
“We fully support and respect Patiphan’s decision to step away at this time to rejuvenate himself,” the organization’s statement reads. “Patiphan remains an important part of our team. He has shown incredible grit and toughness throughout this year’s VCT season, a driving force behind some of our incredible wins late in the season.”
In an effort to improve their prospects for the upcoming year, Talon Esports revamped their roster in the most recent off-season, recruiting Joseph “ban” Seungmin Oh, Lionel “lenne” Lim, and Peter “Governor” No and transforming an international lineup communicating in English. Patiphan’s break from VCT leaves Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut as the only original member of the X10 roster that qualified for the 2021 Masters Reykjavík and Champions Berlin.
With this change, Talon Esports now have:
- 🇹🇭 Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut
- 🇹🇭 Jittana “JitboyS” Nokngam
- 🇺🇸 Joseph “ban” Seungmin Oh
- 🇸🇬 Lionel “lenne” Lim
- 🇺🇸 Peter “Governor” No
- 🇹🇭 Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong (Inactive)
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
