Longtime professional League of Legends player Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black has retired from the competitive scene at the age of 30. The two-time LCS champion and former league MVP announced that he would no longer be playing League competitively after a 10-year run at the game’s highest level of play.
“I wish I could keep going but I just think it’s time,” Aphromoo said in an announcement video today. “My body and mind are pretty much just telling me ‘it’s about that time.’ I’m done. I can go out proud of what I’ve done in League of Legends, and you know, I had a good time. I had fun.”
Aphromoo made his debut in the LCS when the league first launched in 2013. He played in nearly every split (save Summer 2013) since that point in time, spending four years with Counter Logic Gaming before finishing his career with 100 Thieves, Dignitas, and FlyQuest. Over that span, he became the league’s longest-tenured player, and in his final appearance, he passed veteran AD carry WildTurtle for the most games played in LCS history. Aphromoo finished his career with 597 games played on the LCS stage between 2013 and 2022.
Post-retirement, Aphromoo plans to branch out into content creation and streaming with a more relaxed schedule, he said in his announcement today. “I would just do it when it’s right for me, and that’s probably the best comfortability wise,” he said.
After a lengthy career in pro League, Aphromoo said he plans to spend more time outside of the game, doing activities that include working on his car and spending time with his family. And honestly, he deserves it. Aphromoo debuted in the LCS at age 20, and now retires in the early portion of his 30’s. He’s devoted his life to the game, and should there ever be an LCS Hall of Fame, there’s no doubt that he’d be a first-ballot entrant.
The 2023 LCS season—the first to not feature Aphromoo—begins tomorrow, Jan. 26 at 4pm CT.
