nuc steps away from LEC after five years: “I need this break”

nuc will step away from competitive League of Legends once the LEC Summer Split is over. He announced the decision on Monday, shortly after Shifters' loss to Karmine Corp ended the team's playoff hopes.

For nuc, though, the decision is about more than Shifters' results. nuc says he wants some time away from the demands of competitive play. He plans to stream, work on some personal projects and spend more time with the people close to him.

I’m planning to take a break from competitive play after this split,” nuc wrote. “Right now I feel completely saturated with competition as a whole.
- nuc

nuc says he has reached a point where he needs a break

The timing of the announcement was deliberate. nuc said he had been waiting until Shifters were “100% out of playoffs” before making his plans public.

Shifters' playoff hopes ended with a 2-1 loss to Karmine Corp on August 23, their seventh defeat in a row during the Summer Split.

nuc made it clear that the team's poor season is only part of the story. He had already been thinking about taking time away at the end of 2025, but decided to continue for another year and see what he could get out of himself.

2025 was probably the year that mentally destroyed me the most, for a hundred different reasons,” nuc wrote. “2026 was a continuation of that, which ultimately convinced me to make this decision.
- nuc

He also knows what stepping away could mean for his career. LEC roster spots will continue to be filled while he is gone, and he admitted there is no guarantee that he will find another one if he eventually wants to return.

I know exactly what taking a break means in this industry. Spots don’t stay empty, and there’s absolutely no guarantee that I’ll find one again. But no matter what, I need this break.
- nuc

Why nuc wants time away from professional League

Despite his frustration with competition, nuc did not write as someone who has fallen out of love with League of Legends. Quite the opposite.

nuc made it clear that he still loves the competitive side of League. He enjoys getting better, playing 1v1s, winning alongside his teammates and having something to work towards.

What he wants to change is everything around that competitive routine.

I’ve realized that I also want to experience other things,” he wrote. “I have projects in mind, I want to stream, and I want to be closer to people.
- nuc

nuc said the professional lifestyle can create distance between players and their personal lives. Family, friends and the wider community can all end up on the other side of what he described as a barrier created by being a professional player.

There’s always a barrier when you’re a pro player, and today I want to break that barrier down,
- nuc

nuc plans to keep playing and streaming

Taking a break from competitive play does not mean nuc plans to walk away from League of Legends.

He plans to continue doing much of the work he already does as a professional player, including 1v1 practice, VOD reviews, SoloQ and looking for ways to improve his gameplay. The difference is that he wants to do it without the pressure of being tied to an LEC roster.

I’ll keep doing even without a team, on stream, and I’ll be able to share all of it with you,
- nuc

He plans to go live one week after the end of the split. nuc said he will announce the exact date and time beforehand and answer questions about his decision as openly as possible.

nuc's full social media announcement

nuc shared the announcement on X on August 24. The post contains the clearest explanation yet of why he has decided to step away and what he wants to do next.

What nuc said

Hi everyone. I’m making this post to announce a major turning point in my life, because for the first time, I feel like I need to do something different.

I’m planning to take a break from competitive play after this split. I was waiting until we were 100% out of playoffs to announce it, but right now I feel completely saturated with competition as a whole.

And that hurts, because the feeling this game gives you at the highest level when you win, the feeling of improving, the 1v1s, winning as a team and feeling like you have a purpose — those are things I love and value immensely.

However, I’ve realized that I also want to experience other things. I have projects in mind, I want to stream, and I want to be closer to people.

This career has given me an incredible amount of positive things, and I’ll be grateful for everything it has brought me for the rest of my life. But it also creates a separation between you and your personal life, your family, your friends, the viewers, etc. There’s always a barrier when you’re a pro player, and today I want to break that barrier down.

All the positive sides of this life have made me happy, but everything I’ve had to put aside throughout these years is something I miss a lot.

I was already thinking about taking a break at the end of 2025, but I kept telling myself: one more year. Let’s try to give absolutely everything and really use whatever I have left in the tank.

2025 was probably the year that mentally destroyed me the most, for a hundred different reasons. I’ve already spoken publicly about some of them, and 2026 was a continuation of that, which ultimately convinced me to make this decision.

I know exactly what taking a break means in this industry. Spots don’t stay empty, and there’s absolutely no guarantee that I’ll find one again. But no matter what, I need this break.

Everything I was already doing — 1v1s, VOD reviews, playing SoloQ, looking for outplays, etc. — I’ll keep doing even without a team, on stream, and I’ll be able to share all of it with you. Simply because improving at the game and theorycrafting it in depth gets me hard, respectfully.

These past two years have been extremely difficult in many different ways. I also want to sincerely thank all the Shifters fans who supported us through both the good and the bad times. I wish we could have given you more wins and more great memories worthy of the support you gave us. I’ll always be grateful for that, and I’m excited to discover a new chapter of my life with the people close to me and with all of you.

If I get the opportunity to return to competitive play in the future, while having kept myself in good form and managed to bring down the level of saturation I’m currently feeling, I’ll take it without hesitation, because I know I’m going to miss it.

But I need time.

Thank you for following me throughout these last 5 years in the LEC. I’ve experienced incredible moments and absolutely disastrous ones, but all of it has shaped the person I am today.

There are still 2 games left. I’ll give everything I have to give you some good gameplay to watch until the very end.

I’ll go live one week after the end of the split. I’ll give you the exact date and time beforehand, and I’ll answer all of your questions as transparently as possible.
- nuc on X

Shifters' difficult 2026 season

The announcement comes at the end of a particularly rough period for Shifters.

Shifters needed a strong Summer Split to turn their season around, but instead opened with seven straight losses. Their defeat to Karmine Corp sealed their playoff exit, while KC finished the regular season in first place.

nuc had already been open about the problems inside the roster earlier in the year. He previously said that Shifters had “reached a point of no return with this roster,” highlighting issues that went beyond individual performances.

Still, nuc's announcement does not frame the break as simply a reaction to one bad split. His comments point to a decision that had been building for much longer.

nuc's career before the LEC

nuc started his professional career in 2019, playing in the French and European regional scene before making his way to the LEC. After a number of different teams early on, he found some stability with Schalke 04's academy.

A strong stint with Schalke 04's academy side led to his promotion to the LEC roster in 2021, giving nuc his first taste of top-level European competition.

When Schalke's LEC slot was acquired by Team BDS, nuc stayed with the organization. He would spend the next four years as one of the central players on the BDS roster before the organization became Shifters ahead of the 2026 season.

nuc's biggest achievements in the LEC

nuc's strongest period came with Team BDS. While he never won an LEC championship, he became a regular presence near the top of the standings and helped BDS qualify for Worlds in 2023.

2023 was the standout year of nuc's LEC career. Team BDS reached the Spring Split final, where they narrowly lost 3-2 to MAD Lions. Later in the season, BDS beat Golden Guardians in the Worlds Qualifying Series to qualify for Worlds.

The team continued to perform well in 2024, finishing third in all three LEC splits. BDS then placed fourth at the Season Finals.

The Hwei pentakill that stands out

One of the most memorable individual moments of nuc's LEC career came in 2024, when he picked up a pentakill on Hwei during the Spring Playoffs.

It was nuc's first recorded pentakill in the LEC and came during a Team BDS series against Team Vitality. The play remains one of the clearest highlights from his time with BDS.

It was from a period in which BDS had established itself as one of Europe's better teams, even if the roster never managed to turn those deep runs into an LEC title.

nuc has not ruled out a return

For all the finality of his announcement, nuc has not called time on his competitive career for good.

He said that if he gets another opportunity to play professionally after taking time away, he would consider it. The condition is that he wants to feel refreshed and keep himself in good enough shape to compete.

If I get the opportunity to return to competitive play in the future, while having kept myself in good form and managed to bring down the level of saturation I’m currently feeling, I’ll take it without hesitation, because I know I’m going to miss it.
- nuc

That leaves the door open, even if there is no timetable for a return.

Photos by Alexandre Weber/Riot Games.

Frequently asked questions about nuc's LEC break

Why is nuc taking a break from the LEC?

nuc said he feels saturated with competitive play and wants time to focus on other parts of his life, including streaming, personal projects, family and friends.

When will nuc step away from competitive play?

He plans to take his break after the 2026 LEC Summer Split. He still has two matches left on the Summer schedule.

Has nuc retired from League of Legends?

No. nuc described his decision as a break and said he would return to competitive play if the right opportunity comes along in the future.

What will nuc do during his break?

He plans to stream while continuing to play SoloQ, review VODs, practice 1v1s and work on League of Legends theorycrafting.

Why are Shifters out of the LEC playoffs?

Shifters' Summer Split came to another disappointing point on August 23, as a 2-1 loss to Karmine Corp confirmed their playoff exit and made it seven straight defeats.

What is nuc's best LEC result?

His best LEC finish is second place in the 2023 Spring Split with Team BDS.

For nuc, the next chapter is outside the LEC

nuc still has two LEC games left before his break starts, but his decision to step away is already made.

After five years at the highest level of European League of Legends, he wants to step back, spend more time with people close to him and explore what comes next. He is not leaving the game behind, either. If anything, his plans suggest he wants to experience League without the pressure that comes with being a professional player.

Whether the break lasts months or becomes something longer remains to be seen. nuc has left the door open for a return, but for now, his message is straightforward: “I need this break.”

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