ANGE1 Announces Retirement from Esports After 20 Years

Ukrainian esports legend Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov has confirmed his retirement from competitive play, bringing a 20-year career across Counter-Strike and Valorant to a close. With just five days remaining until his 36th birthday, the legendary in-game leader broke the news on social media, expressing his desire to make the move into coaching for the new season.

ANGE1 launched his professional esports career in 2005, which made him one of the most enduring players in competitive gaming. His career began in Counter-Strike, where he played for 15 years before making a drastic change to Valorant in 2020 at the age of 30. The move turned out to be career-defining, as he found his best success playing Riot Games’ tactical shooter.

The Ukrainian legend is most remembered for his six-and-a-half years with HellRaisers in Counter-Strike, where he was the team’s in-game leader and became the figurehead of the organization. Under his stint with HellRaisers, ANGE1 helped cultivate young players, particularly bringing Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, aged 16, into the starting lineup and giving him his first platform to demonstrate his skills.

Valorant Success and Achievement

ANGE1’s transition to Valorant in 2020 initiated the most successful period of his career. For FunPlus Phoenix, he led the team to victory at VCT Masters Copenhagen 2022, earning him his first and sole S-tier international championship. He became the oldest player in history to win an international Valorant event at 32 years old, proving that age is not a hindrance to becoming elite.

The Masters Copenhagen win was especially personal for ANGE1, as he was wrapped in the Ukrainian flag following the final against Paper Rex, a moment that felt “like I went home.” The run in the tournament was all the more impressive given FPX had to play out the early rounds with a stand-in player due to visa problems impacting teammate Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin.

Final Chapter with Natus Vincere

After his achievement with FunPlus Phoenix, ANGE1 then signed with Natus Vincere in late 2022 and spent the last three years of his professional career there. Despite appearing in another international semifinal at the 2023 LOCK//IN São Paulo and attending Champions the same year, ANGE1 admitted that his performance steadily dropped while he was part of NAVI.

In his retirement post, ANGE1 mentioned his recent performance, saying: “I truly did my best in the last 2 years, but expectation and reality unfortunately did not meet”. Since 2024, NAVI has not managed a single VCT EMEA podium and has not even qualified for any international competitions.

Transition to Coaching

Instead of completely distancing himself from esports, ANGE1 will continue to be involved in the competitive arena as a coach. “I still believe in my vision of the game. And there are a lot of things I learnt during this long-ass career,” he clarified in his retirement announcement. His wealth of experience as an in-game leader on both Counter-Strike and Valorant makes him an ideal candidate for this role.

The gaming community welcomed ANGE1’s retirement news warmly, with fellow professionals commending his achievements in competitive gaming. Fnatic IGL Boaster commended his career, while Vitality’s apEX jokingly alluded to their extensive past of rivalry in Counter-Strike.