ESports Pros Players Careers
Esports has quickly become one of the world’s most popular sporting events. Professional gamers are recognized worldwide for their exceptional skills, dedication to the craft, and ability to bring out the best in their teams. But what happens when these professional esports players decide to switch careers? Here, we look at 5 ESports Pros changed careers who completely changed jobs after becoming successful in esports.
5 ESports Pros Changed Careers
Lee Sang-Hyeok
The first on our list is South Korean esports superstar Lee Sang-hyeok, more commonly known as Faker. He initially gained fame for his incredible play with SK Telecom T1 in League of Legends. He quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in competitive gaming.
After several years as a dominating force in LoL, Faker decided to move on to other esports titles. StarCraft II and Overwatch, where he eventually shifted his focus away from competitive gaming entirely. Instead, Faker now serves as a coach for SK Telecom T1’s League of Legends team—a role that has earned him even more respect from fans around the globe.
Dae-Hee “CJ Entus” Park
Another former esports pro who made a major career change is Dae-Hee “CJ Entus” Park. During his time as a StarCraft II pro gamer, CJ Entus was considered one of the greatest players ever produced by South Korea and achieved massive success both domestically and internationally. However, after retiring from active play, CJ Entus shifted his focus to casting and analysis.
He now works with AfreecaTV as an analyst for their Starcraft II broadcasts, offering unique insights into game strategies and player mentality during events like IEM Katowice 2020.
Marcus “Dyrus” Hill
Our third player is Marcus “Dyrus” Hill—a North American LoL legend who made waves throughout the scene back in 2012-2013 when he played for Team SoloMid (TSM). His success on TSM continued until 2015, when he retired from professional play.
Since then, Dyrus has moved onto Twitch streaming full-time and can be seen entertaining thousands of viewers weekly with hilarious jokes and anecdotes about life outside of gaming.
William “Meteos” Hartman
Next up is Canadian LoL veteran William “Meteos” Hartman, who used to play for Cloud9 before retiring from pro play in 2016. However, instead of moving on to another esports title or streaming platform like other former pros, Meteos chose to explore his options outside the gaming industry altogether.
Since retiring from Cloud9, he has become a venture capitalist investing in tech startups. He also regularly appears on podcasts such as Riot Games ‘Unlock’d’ series, discussing esports culture and fandom growth.
Kory “Semphis” Friesen
Finally, we come to Kory “Semphis” Friesen —an ex-professional Counter-Strike player renowned for his long reign atop various North American rankings lists during CS 1.6’s peak popularity period between 2006-2009. After retiring from CS 1.6, Semphis became a popular Twitch streamer. He regularly interacts with his audience over live gameplay sessions with games such as PUBG or Apex Legends. He also talks about technology news & trends happening around the world today, showcasing Semphis’ vast knowledge outside of just gaming alone.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve seen above, five former esports pros have taken different paths after deciding to step away from professional competition. From coaching, teams like Faker did up to venture capitalism as Meteos does now.
They are proving that there are numerous opportunities available beyond just playing games if you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone! Whether through analysis/casting work or branching out into entirely new industries, these five professionals have shown us how hard work & dedication can lead you down paths you would never have expected!