On January 20th 2024, professional Valorant player Santeri "BONECOLD" Sassi posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) announcing his retirement. This announcement was met with a wave of support from the Valorant community.
As a reminder, BONECOLD is a former member of Acend. The team secured the very first Valorant World Championships in 2021, with BONECOLD serving as their in-game leader at the time.
Following the World Championships, BONECOLD joined Team Vitality, where he spent the next two years. Unfortunately, unlike his time with Acend, BONECOLD's performance with Team Vitality was less remarkable.
In 2023, the team finished at the bottom of the table in the inaugural São Paulo event and placed 5th/6th in the VCT EMEA league, failing to qualify for another international event.
BONECOLD decided to retire before the start of the 2024 season. He announced his departure from the competitive scene with a smile: "Today, I will be happily announcing my retirement from Valorant esports... After my successful last three years in this game, I feel like my motivation and focus should be on something else."
After the video was released, BONECOLD went live on Twitch to answer fans' questions and reflect on his career. Several commentators and analysts took the time to congratulate him on his success and wish him the best for the future.
