Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye announced his retirement from professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on June 30.
Kjaerbye was a young superstar talent in CS:GO who got his big break when he joined Astralis at seventeen. He rode the success of the Danish for two years before unexpectedly leaving the organization. Afterward, Kjaerbye joined North Esports but saw varied success with the organization. His departure from Astralis was the shaft of his downfall, which only lasted a few years.
When his time with North ended, Kjaerbye joined the prestigious CS:GO organization FaZe Clan. It was during his year at FaZe Clan that Kjaerbye won Intel Extreme Masters XV Online; the only title he and the team earned during 2020. While struggling to make it on FaZe Clan, Kjaerbye eventually landed on amateur team HYENAS. This was the last team that Kjaerbye would participate with during his career in CS:GO. His last tournament was the European Development Championship, where he placed in the top eight.
Kjaerbye looks for new opportunities outside of CS:GO
Kjaerbye made the shocking announcement of his retirement through a post on Twitter. He captioned the tweet by thanking the CS:GO community for the opportunities and memories that they gave him.
Thank you CS 💙 for all the opportunities & memories you have given me! pic.twitter.com/nFdpT4LqMp
— KJAERBYE (@KjaerbyeCS) June 30, 2021
“The time has come for me to say goodbye to gaming as a professional Counter-Strike player. It is with a heavy heart, I am writing this, but as of right now, I no longer have the hunger and determination it requires to compete at the top level. This game has been a huge part of my life for the past ten years, and I feel this is the time for me to look for new horizons and opportunities.”
Another CS:GO legend, Nathan “NBK” Jordan Schmitt, announced his retirement on June 29. NBK also shared that he would be pursuing a career in professional VALORANT. While many CS:GO players have jumped ship to the new title, Kjaerbye has yet to make that announcement.
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