Unexpectedly, San Francisco Shock DPS player Seonchang “ANS” Lee has retired from competitive Overwatch, citing mental and physical condition issues. Despite being in the running for rookie of the year last season, it appears that factors off the stage have led Ans to retire. This wouldn’t be his first retirement from competitive play, but the circumstances were much different this time around.
Today a legend retires.
From stomping ladder to Grand Finals champion, thank you @ansansniper__, for an incredible season. We wish you the best of health, and best of luck in your future endeavors 🧡 pic.twitter.com/WOfWU4FfnV
— San Francisco Shock (@SFShock) January 8, 2021
Ans, a star rookie, retires
When Ans got picked up by the San Francisco Shock after their first title in 2019, fans weren’t sure what to think of him. He did have some standout moments in Korean contenders for BlossoM, but he was primarily known for his ladder play. This was due to his first retirement from competitive play in the first half of 2019. However, he grinded on ladder and the Shock saw his talent, eventually picking him up for the 2020 season. He entered the league as an unknown, but fans were sure that he would be fine.
This is where Ans surprised all with his outstanding hitscan play, starting games over the immense DPS talent they had on their team. He didn’t let the team down, as his flexibility and prowess for taking over games were what led them to a second title. Fans were excited to see how he’d grow after that outstanding rookie season, but it seems he had other ideas. In fact, Ans himself on Twitter indicated that he considered retiring in the middle of his rookie season. The coaches wanted him to be part of their team at least until the end of the season, and they got him a championship for it. But, it was apparently inevitable. Ans revealed more information in a TwitLonger.
read this
Read: https://t.co/m70dZgD3JL
— ANS (@ansansniper__) January 8, 2021
How the Shock will move on
In retrospect, the Shock’s signings of DPS players over the off-season makes more sense now. If they knew since mid-2020 that Ans was considering retirement, they would need talented players to replace him. Even as a rookie, he was crucial to their roster. Earlier on in this off-season, they signed Gil-seong “Glister” Lim and Charlie “nero” Zwarg. It seems that out of the two, Glister appears to be the true Ans replacement. However, the spark that Ans was will not be replicated. It’s a shame that Ans retired, but due to the issues he mentioned, it’s completely understandable. Playing in the big leagues isn’t easy. Hopefully, Ans’ health gets better, and he finds success elsewhere.
