The Korean tactician is taking a step back and retiring from VALORANT at an elite level, leaving behind T1 who are set to play the VCT Pacific KICKOFF event in two days.
SOUTH KOREA – Son “xeta” Seon-ho has announced his decision to leave T1 and retire from competitive VALORANT, bringing an end to a career that began in 2020 representing organizations such as Cloud9 where he played for both its Korean and North American rosters and more recently T1 where he led its 2023 VCT Pacific roster.
The 26-year-old leaves VALORANT as one of the game’s most recognizable names from Asia, with four international appearances, to prioritize his mental and body health. “[…] I also realized that my mental and physical health are not the same as when I started, even though I had the help of the organization and got to talk to a sports psychologist for help. I felt it had gone so deep that it was challenging to go back and recover. I have recently started to have stacked stress, which is unusual for me. Since I now have less energy compared to before, I thought I couldn’t [effectively] help the team under these circumstances.
“So, to take care of myself regarding my health and self-development, I contemplated stepping down from the roster and had a mutual discussion with the team to come up with this decision, and I appreciate the organization’s understanding of my situation.”
In addition to his retirement, xeta reveals his upcoming mandatory Korean military service, as it is a requirement for males to enlist before the age of 28, with a maximum deferment until the age of 30.
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Having competed professionally since 2016 and tearing up the domestic Korean scene, xeta experienced a breakthrough two years later when he signed with Korea’s top Counter-Strike team, MVP PK. This move led to his time with TYLOO in 2020 and his representation of Asia at prestigious events such as IEM Chicago 2018, IEM Sydney 2019, and IEM Katowice 2020, among others.
His transition to VALORANT occurred in late 2020 when xeta joined the Korean division of Cloud9 alongside players like DRX’s Byung-chul “BuZz” Yu, Gen.G’s Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom, CGZ’s Yoo “Moothie” Seung-woo, and coach Yoon “Autumn” Eu-teum, who remained by his side from the beginning in Cloud9 until the very last moment of his VALORANT career in T1.
However, due to the policy preventing teams from fielding multiple rosters, Cloud9 made the decision to shut down their Korean VALORANT operations and shift their focus to their home base in North America. As the remaining team members went their separate ways, only xeta and Autumn were retained to establish an American-Korean roster, forming Cloud9 Blue.
The move wasn’t xeta’s first experience with an international roster, as his time with the China-based TYLOO had already provided him with some exposure. However, joining Cloud9 marked his first one into North American teams. The team achieved success towards the end of their first year, securing a victory in the 2021 VCT NA Last Chance Qualifier. This success paved their way to VALORANT Champions Berlin, where they concluded their journey as quarter-finalists.
The year 2022 proved to be relatively quiet for xeta, despite securing a spot in the main event of both North American Challenger stages. However, it wasn’t until the end of 2022 that he seized the opportunity to participate in the newly established tier-one VCT Pacific League with the renowned Korean organization T1, which marked his return to Asia.
T1’s third-place finish in the inaugural VCT Pacific season granted them the opportunity to qualify for the two international events in Tokyo and Los Angeles. In these events, xeta and his teammates became representatives of the Pacific region alongside Paper Rex and their Korean compatriots from DRX.
Individually, xeta maintained his status as a standout player at the highest level in 2023, securing the eighth position in the VLR.gg rating with a score of 1.10 during the VCT Pacific League. Playing as an Initiator and leading the team as the in-game leader (IGL), he came close to outperforming Sayaplayer, the team’s highest-rated player at 1.11. Therefore, his unexpected absence from the AfreecaTV VALORANT League was surprising, especially considering his significant role in the firepower department.
His most recent appearance came in October last year as he attended the TEN VALORANT Global Invitational, concluding the event in fourth place and marking his final appearance before the arrival of Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo from the North American region.
Looking back at his career in North America under the Cloud9 Blue banner, xeta feels fulfilled. “I would like to give huge respect and thanks to everyone who supported me when I first came into the NA league. And it was priceless warm-hearted support for me from all the fans right from the very beginning when I came to the States, and I can confidently say it has made me a better version of myself, now also as a player. It will be something I can never forget in my life for sure.”
While bidding farewell for now, xeta remains hopeful about a future return, expressing his desire to come back with a “refreshed mindset, energy, and passion” when he feels ready.
T1 now have the following members:
- 🇰🇷 Ha “Sayaplayer” Jung-woo
- 🇰🇷 Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok
- 🇰🇷 Ham “iZu” Woo-joo
- 🇮🇩 Kevin “xccurate” Susanto
- 🇺🇸 Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo
- 🇰🇷 Yoon “Autumn” Eu-teum (Head coach)
- 🇨🇦 Dakota “Stunner” MacLeod (Coach)
- 🇰🇷 Lee “CheongGak” Il-ho (Coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
