Fortnite legend Benjyfishy officially retired from competition and has decided to pursue a career in Valorant.
Today, the competitive Fortnite scene lost one of the most significant stars in the game's storied five-year history. English player Benjy "Benjyfishy" Fish announced that he would no longer compete in Fortnite and would instead move to Valorant. Furthermore, Benjyfishy – who signed with NRG in 2019 – revealed he'll stay with the organization to create Valorant content.
Overall, Benjy's career contains some of the best moments and accomplishments the Fortnite scene has ever witnessed. He spent the better four years atop the European region but ultimately stopped enjoying the game over the last few seasons.
Benjyfishy retires from Fortnite
Benjy took to Twitter with an announcement that most expected but none wanted to witness. He cited that he recently fell out of love with Fortnite and could no longer put the same effort as he would earlier in his career.
"I used to be able to play Fortnite like 8 to 10 hours, but even last season, I was only playing the tournaments just because I really couldn't force myself to get on the game," he said. "The reason I always wanted to be a pro gamer is because I wanted to have a job that I enjoy, so for me, right now, it seems pointless carrying on something that I don't enjoy."
The former professional Fortnite player continued, saying that he's been playing a lot of Valorant recently, and it's the most fun he's had in gaming since the Fortnite World Cup. Furthermore, Benjy stated that he has no regrets about his career and would not change anything. Finally, he thanked NRG and his mother – Anne Fish – for their support throughout his career.
Benjyfishy followed his heartfelt farewell with a post, thanking many people who stuck by him during his Fortnite career. Most notably, Benjy thanked long-time duo partner Martin "MrSavage" Foss Andersen. MrSavage arrived in competitive Fortnite alongside Benjy, and the two competed at the Fortnite World Cup together.
"[MrSavage] literally made my career and without him I'd be nowhere close to where I am at right now. The best player I have ever played with and I've made so many memories with him from qualifying to World Cup to winning DreamHack, genuinely going to be a friend for life."
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A look back on Benjyfishy's illustrious career
One could argue that Benjyfishy belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of Fortnite, given his accomplishments across an extended period. Benjy began competing in 2018 and quickly surged up the totem pole. Firstly, he compiled several top-20 finishes in tournaments leading to the $3 million Fortnite World Cup Qualifiers. Then, Benjy became one of only a few players to compete in the Solo and Duo World Cup Finals in July 2019. He finished 25th and 14th at that event, taking home $150,000.
Later, Benjyfishy joined forces with fellow European standouts Dmitri "mitr0" Van de Vrie and Kyle "Mongraal" Jackson to form MMB – the most fearless trio in Fortnite. Ultimately, this team finished tenth in the Season X Finals. Benjy continued to win Cash Cup tournaments and contend nearly every season in the Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS).
The closest Benjyfishy came to winning the FNCS occurred in Chapter 2 Season 1. He, Mongraal, Jaden "Wolfiez" Ashman and Nathan "nayte" Berquignol finished second in the Finals. From there, Benjy reached ten FNCS Finals but failed to win the Championship.
Still, Benjy's career accolades include multiple high LAN placements and a DreamHack Open victory alongside MrSavage. In conclusion, Benjy will go down in history as one of the best players to ever touch Fortnite. He joins a long list of players who have since moved on from the popular Battle Royale title to pursue other games. Given his talent, Benjy should thrive in Valorant and whatever he decides after.
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