The Dane Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg is considered the most popular and significant player in the US-American League of Legends. He is inseparably linked to the name TSM. Bjergsen actually ended his career in 2020, then worked for a year as a coach in LoL, but returned in 2021 to shine as a professional player. However, that went wrong. Now he ends his career at 27.
Why is Bjergsen so popular?
- Bjergsen has a story that many apparently can identify with: He experienced an unhappy youth in Denmark, where he was an outsider in school who was bullied. In nothing did he really feel competent. He even had suicidal thoughts.
- However, because he was so good at the computer game LoL, he matured into a star, was able to switch to the USA, found friends and a community, played for TSM for one of the big teams, and was the linchpin of the team as a midlaner from 2013 to 2020, even becoming a co-owner of Team Solo Mid.
- Bjergsen developed into a star on social media and the most popular and greatest player in the USA: He became a 6-time champion in the LCS, snagged 4 MVP titles and received numerous other personal awards. The Dane certainly also earned a lot of money in the USA.
Bjergsen is the greatest player in the USA – Faker is the greatest in the world:
Bjergsen already retired after the World Championship disaster in 2020
What was the catch? Even though Bjergsen was the dominant player with TSM in the USA, and the fans kissed the ground he walked on, he could never convince internationally. At the Worlds, he regularly got eliminated early. The competition from China and South Korea has always been two or three classes better than the teams Bjergsen played for.
In 2020, he experienced an absolute disaster with TSM, getting eliminated with 0-6. After that, Bjergsen ended his career and became a coach at TSM.
In the last 2 years, Bjergsen played with “super teams”, but never made it far in the playoffs
How was his return? After a year as a coach, Bjergsen wanted to give it another try and play professionally again. His boss at TSM, Reginald, allegedly made him a great offer, promising him money and strong teammates, but Bjergsen switched to Team Liquid, where they assembled a “super team” of great European players like Hans sama or Bwipo.
But Team Liquid had no success, the team did not fit together, got eliminated in the playoffs against younger teams, and the team broke up after a year.
In 2023, Bjergsen wanted to give it one more shot with “100 Thieves”. He joined the team anew, replacing the German Abbedagge and was reunited with his old friend Doublelift.
But even this team could not convince – fell out in the playoffs, in the Spring Split 2023, against FlyQuest and Golden Guardians mercilessly.
Bjergsen has played LoL for half his life, enough
This is the end: After the loss against Golden Guardians, Bjergsen has now announced his final farewell. He states that it is not about the elimination or the team, but that he has been struggling for a long time.
According to Bjergsen, LoL is so complex with the many champions that it takes a lot of time and effort to stay at the top. For a long time, he has made that effort. That was also the key to his success. Now, however, he no longer feels that fire after playing LoL for half his life.
One always chases that one success, the championship or winning an international tournament. But for Bjergsen, that probably no longer matters.
He says:
I have worked harder than many others, I wanted it more than many of them, and I was ready to sacrifice time with friends and family, ready to sacrifice personal interests, hobbies, and actually everything else.
For a long time, he has been telling people around him: If he no longer feels that he can give everything to win and be the best, then he will stop. And he believes that the time has now come.
Bjergsen does not see his first retirement as a retirement because he still wanted to win then, even as a coach.
This is now his first and only retirement from competition. He does not yet know how it will continue. He has decided not to immediately continue as a coach or streamer:
I would like to find out what my identity is when my whole time is not related to League of Legends.
What’s behind this: After the emotional video, it is hard to be a bit mean to Bjergsen. But, to put it bluntly: After 2021, the hype surrounding Bjergsen was more hype than actual sporting success. Previously, Bjergsen was dominant with his teams in the USA, but internationally, it was never enough against Korea and China.
After his comeback, Bjergsen’s teams were no longer the big force nationally: It all seemed cobbled together to desperately create a team that would make an impact at the Worlds. But that’s apparently not how LoL works.
His teams could convince in the regular season, but crumbled under the pressure of the playoffs. Even though Bjergsen himself still played strong in recent years.
It’s a shame for Bjergsen. You could tell he did not want to end with the 0-6 at the World Championship 2020. But ultimately, he did not manage to secure a place on the international stage in the last two years. So this part of what was otherwise a dream career will remain unfulfilled.
By the way, Team TSM is not doing well right now:
