It’s been an up-and-down career for Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg, who is known by most League of Legends fans as one of the greatest players in the game’s history. But after 100 Thieves’ playoff run was cut short by Golden Guardians this past split, the 27-year-old has hung up his keyboard and mouse for the final time, he announced today.
“I worked harder than a lot of people, I wanted it more than a lot of those people, and I was willing to sacrifice time with friends, family, personal interests, hobbies, [and] really just anything,” Bjergsen said. “For a long time, I’ve felt—and even told the people around me—that if I didn’t feel like I could give my absolute all towards winning and being the best… then it would be time to stop, and it feels like that time is now.”
My farewell pic.twitter.com/xCM3NRrHu0
— Bjergsen (@Bjergsen) April 7, 2023
The talented veteran also said that this might seem like a “second retirement” to some people since he technically stepped away from on-stage competition before.
Bjergsen “retired” for the first time in 2020 after TSM’s unfortunate 0-6 run at Worlds, where he transitioned to a head coaching role with the organization for the following year.
In Bjergsen’s eyes, this was never a true retirement since it was a transition to another role that still had the ultimate goal of winning a championship. After a disappointing coaching debut with TSM, however, he made a triumphant return to pro play with Team Liquid in 2022.
His first year back was plagued with a plethora of different issues, even though Liquid’s roster was filled with superstar-level talent. The team failed to reach either LCS Finals and after a single season was split apart for another rebuild while Bjergsen searched for another team to complete his next journey to the top of the mountain.
Bjergsen’s legacy will continue to live on in the players and teams that blossom in the years to come. His journey from a quiet kid using League to escape his troubled childhood to becoming one of the greatest players in LoL esports history will be remembered in the annals of this esport for years to come.
