LoL: Neon Announces Retirement

Europe bids farewell to one of its more familiar faces. On Tuesday, Matúš "Neon" Jakubčík revealed via X that he is retiring from professional play. "Retiring from professional play," wrote the Slovakian marksman. "Forever grateful for the memories, opportunities and support I've been given. Moving on I'll be focusing on something that I've wanted to pursue for a long time – making content & streaming." At 26, Neon concludes a near-decade-long career that began in April 2016 with eSuba, though he started gaining significant recognition around 2019.

That year, Neon joined the newly established French league, the LFL, playing under the Misfits Premier banner. With the team, he reached the final of the league's inaugural split and, shortly thereafter, secured his first major title at the European Masters. His performances during the playoffs were especially noteworthy, as he secured four of the seven MVP awards awarded to Misfits on their path to the championship. Later that summer, Neon received temporary call-ups to the main LEC roster, though his appearances were not enough to reverse the team’s bad form.

Though he didn't capture a domestic title in France, Neon found more success the following year in the German Prime League. He joined Schalke 04 Evolution for the latter half of the Spring Split and helped secure the German championship, notably playing Miss Fortune in all four games of the 3–1 grand final victory over mousesports. While he remained with S04’s academy for the start of the Summer Split, Neon was promoted to the LEC midway through and remained in the EMEA elite for the next two and a half years. His journey took him through Schalke 04, Misfits Gaming, and finally Team Vitality.

Despite his longevity, Neon never quite managed to establish himself as a leading figure at the top level, with his best LEC finish being fourth place during the Spring 2021 split with Schalke 04. His stint with Team Vitality ultimately marked the end of his tenure in the LEC, and he was relegated to the LFL for Summer 2023. He later returned to the Prime League but was unable to recapture any ERL titles.

In 2025, for the first time in his career, Neon played outside France and Germany, joining Misa Esports. The team came close to a championship in the spring, entering the TCL grand final as favorites against BoostGate, only to suffer a swift 0–3 defeat. Neon's final appearance came this Monday in the EMEA Masters quarterfinals, where Misa fell 1–3 to BK ROG—a respectable exit against one of the tournament favorites. Shortly thereafter, Neon shared his retirement plans. His departure leaves the EMEA region without one of its longstanding veterans.