Feature

Patiphan leaves VALORANT, returns to Overwatch

The pro returns to the game where his career began

12/15/2021

Provided by Blizzard Entertainment Patiphan onstage at the Overwatch Contenders Gauntlet 2019

Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong has officially left VALORANT to resume his professional Overwatch career. He most recently played in VALORANT Champions 2021, where he was instrumental in helping his team X10 CRIT secure a playoff berth. X10 fell in quarterfinals to Gambit Esports, after which Patiphan wrote that it was his “last official match.”

That wrapped this year and also my last official match ggs 1-2 @GambitEsports 💆🏻‍♀️ good luck further and 👋

— Patiphan (@itsPatiphan) December 9, 2021

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Gladiators announced that they had signed Patiphan for the 2022 Overwatch League season. Patiphan originally made his name as a star damage dealer in Overwatch. At just 15 years old, he played in the 2018 Overwatch World Cup, representing Thailand. There, he made waves with his prodigious mechanical skill and game sense, particularly on heroes like Genji and Widowmaker.

For the next few years, Patiphan continued to dominate the Asia-Pacific Overwatch scene, playing on teams like Talon Esports and World Game Star Phoenix. He consistently showed good performances in both Overwatch Contenders and international tournaments such as the Gauntlet. However, he was too young to join the Overwatch League, which has a minimum age requirement of 18. The year 2022 will be the first year that Patiphan will be eligible to play in the league.

THE PRODIGY HAS RETURNED.

We're proud to welcome @itspatiphan back to Overwatch and to the Gladiators! #ShieldsUP pic.twitter.com/daU64VGLZZ

— Los Angeles Gladiators (@LAGladiators) December 15, 2021

Patiphan retired from Overwatch in August of 2020 to pursue a career in VALORANT. He quickly established himself as a rising star and attended two major international tournaments in 2021: VALORANT Champions Tour Stage 2: Masters Reykjavík and VALORANT Champions. He was X10 CRIT’s ace player all throughout his tenure there and was considered a major reason why the team was able to perform so well internationally.

Now that Patiphan is eligible to play in the Overwatch League, he is one of the most anticipated new talents going into the 2022 season. Overwatch League 2022 will also be played on an early build of Overwatch 2, ahead of its official release. With one less tank in the mix and a shift to 5v5, Overwatch 2 is expected to spotlight damage dealers like Patiphan much more than its predecessor.