nuc announces break from competitive play after the LEC Summer Split

nuc full statement:

“Hi everyone. I’m making this post to announce a major turning point in my life, because for the first time, I feel like I need to do something different.

I’m planning to take a break from competitive play after this split. I was waiting until we were 100% out of playoffs to announce it, but right now I feel completely saturated with competition as a whole.

And that hurts, because the feeling this game gives you at the highest level when you win, the feeling of improving, the 1v1s, winning as a team and feeling like you have a purpose — those are things I love and value immensely.

However, I’ve realized that I also want to experience other things. I have projects in mind, I want to stream, and I want to be closer to people.

This career has given me an incredible amount of positive things, and I’ll be grateful for everything it has brought me for the rest of my life. But it also creates a separation between you and your personal life, your family, your friends, the viewers, etc. There’s always a barrier when you’re a pro player, and today I want to break that barrier down.

All the positive sides of this life have made me happy, but everything I’ve had to put aside throughout these years is something I miss a lot.

I was already thinking about taking a break at the end of 2025, but I kept telling myself: one more year. Let’s try to give absolutely everything and really use whatever I have left in the tank.

2025 was probably the year that mentally destroyed me the most, for a hundred different reasons. I’ve already spoken publicly about some of them, and 2026 was a continuation of that, which ultimately convinced me to make this decision.

I know exactly what taking a break means in this industry. Spots don’t stay empty, and there’s absolutely no guarantee that I’ll find one again. But no matter what, I need this break.

Everything I was already doing — 1v1s, VOD reviews, playing SoloQ, looking for outplays, etc. — I’ll keep doing even without a team, on stream, and I’ll be able to share all of it with you. Simply because improving at the game and theorycrafting it in depth gets me hard, respectfully.

These past two years have been extremely difficult in many different ways. I also want to sincerely thank all the Shifters fans who supported us through both the good and the bad times. I wish we could have given you more wins and more great memories worthy of the support you gave us. I’ll always be grateful for that, and I’m excited to discover a new chapter of my life with the people close to me and with all of you.

If I get the opportunity to return to competitive play in the future, while having kept myself in good form and managed to bring down the level of saturation I’m currently feeling, I’ll take it without hesitation, because I know I’m going to miss it.

But I need time.

Thank you for following me throughout these last 5 years in the LEC. I’ve experienced incredible moments and absolutely disastrous ones, but all of it has shaped the person I am today.

There are still 2 games left. I’ll give everything I have to give you some good gameplay to watch until the very end.

I’ll go live one week after the end of the split. I’ll give you the exact date and time beforehand, and I’ll answer all of your questions as transparently as possible.”