After nearly ten years competing in CS:GO and VALORANT, NRG s0m has announced a hiatus from the competitive scene.
If you’re a big NRG fan who’s been waiting to see Sam "s0m" Oh win his first international title since joining the team in 2020, his VALORANT Champions 2025 victory was surely thrilling. Now, there’s bittersweet news: s0m is stepping away from competitive play for an indefinite hiatus.
s0m announces hiatus
This is not a retirement announcement, so s0m could return to competitive VALORANT in the future. "Definitely, it won't be forever," he said. He began his career nearly ten years ago in CS:GO and played for several teams over the years, including Team Envy and Gen.G, before joining NRG VALORANT division.
In the hiatus announcement video, s0m thanked his fans for their unconditional support over the years, as well as all the teammates who have come and gone at NRG since 2020. He acknowledged that each of them played a role in his growth, both as a player and as a person. He added, "I think it is a little bit selfish of me, but I think you guys will do great."
Since the start of his VALORANT career, s0m had never won a domestic title, finishing second in 2023 and 2025. With his victory over FNATIC at VALORANT Champions 2025, he claimed his first-ever international trophy. The player also went on X to thank everyone who supported him during his career.
Community reaction
Several of his teammates took to X to thank s0m for everything he’s done for the team, especially Ethan "Ethan" Arnold, who became the only player in the world to win VALORANT Champions twice. "I’m so thankful I got to make all these memories with you over the years; maybe down the line we can even make more," Ethan wrote to s0m.
NRG mada also wrote: "We stood on top of the world together, we’ll all miss you, but you already know that." The community has been flooding s0m with messages of love and appreciation as he enters an indefinite hiatus. "An absolute legend, nothing short of inspiring following his journey from CS all the way to now," pro-player SR meL added.
The esports.gg team wishes s0m all the best in his future! That's all for now. Stick around for more VALORANT news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.
