The Korean Ki-hyo “Xzi” Jung is considered one of the top 10 Overwatch players in the world. He is 19 years old, but is now temporarily retiring from his career. He says his body simply can’t handle the strain any longer. He has trained too much, sat too long, and paid too little attention to his body. He just can’t continue.
This is Xzi: The 19-year-old South Korean has made a name for himself in Overwatch with DPS heroes like McCree or Soldier 76.
- He had a strong season in the Overwatch League in 2020 with “Paris Eternal”. The team finished 4th in the league but was eliminated in the playoffs by Atlanta and Washington in round 3
- Xzi was one of the 10 finalists for the “MVP” award, thus nominally ranking among the top 10 Overwatch players in the world
- He is already considered by fans as “the best McCree” in the world, despite being so young
In 2021, Xzi was supposed to play for “Dallas Fuel” and become the main DPS there. Dallas had built a team for 2021 that consists solely of Koreans, many of whom, like Xzi, come from Paris Eternal.
However, the team now needs to find replacements. Because Xzi has announced that he is ending his career at the age of 19.
Excessive sitting and too much training have damaged the body
That’s why Xzi is ending his career now: In a video on Twitter, Xzi says in a hoarse voice that he has been suffering from issues with his discs and spine for the past one and a half years. He says he has overdone it with training and playing. He speaks of “excessive training.”
Xzi says he sat too long at the PC and could no longer perform physical fitness exercises. He lacked the time for that.
As a result, his physical complaints got worse and now he can no longer manage his normal training routine. The doctors have advised him to take a break. Therefore, he has decided to end his career, go back to Korea, and focus solely on getting healthy again.
Xzi says: He will now play less and focus on his health. His goal is to return to Dallas Fuel in 2022 and resume his career.
When he was still in Paris, he played through the pain and only occasionally sought treatment. This may have only worsened his situation.
He now realizes that he must pay attention to his health if he wants to enjoy a longer career as a professional player. He calls it a “waste” if he had to quit forever at such a young age.
This is what it’s about: Overwatch is still a young e-sport. We know from LoL players who have played for 5, 6 years that they suffer from such problems and after a relatively long career, physically or mentally can no longer cope. A LoL pro, for example, reported that he developed an obsessive-compulsive disorder over the years.
In Overwatch, the strain seems to be even higher, as can be heard from Xzi. There are worrying reports that many Overwatch pros are reportedly using performance-enhancing drugs.
E-sport is still developing; some teams now realize that they should encourage their players to maintain better sleep patterns, take regular breaks, eat well, and engage in physical training, but apparently this development is still in its infancy:
One of the best LoL players of all time retires – health deteriorates at 23
