The LoL was forced to say an impromptu goodbye to one of its star players Tuesday after 27-year-old Korean League of Legends star Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho shockingly revealed that he is retiring from the sport.
Ssumday stated that the mandatory military service in his home country is the reason behind his early exit from the sport, although he said that upon completion of the military service, he would then consider a return to streaming or coaching.
The 27-year-old has spent a trophy-laden ten years in the league both home and abroad and has a Korean championship, four Worlds appearances, numerous split finals, and three LCS All-Pro Team spots.
The veteran LCK and LCS player announced his retirement in a social media post.
“I’m not sure if I’ve done that well, but I think I’ve done a good job because there are still a lot of people supporting me,” Ssumday said.
He started his illustrious career at KT Rolster’s academy program, which led to his promotion to the main squad in 2015 and his making a playoff spot in just his first Worlds appearance. His reputation improved in the West after that, and he moved to Dignitas in North America in 2017.
He spent a year there and moved to 100 Thieves in 2018, helping the team in their inaugural split to help them finish at the top of the ladder for the regular split. Unfortunately, they were beaten by Team Liquid in the split grand final. They were also knocked out of Worlds 2018 just shy of a playoff spot.
However, Ssumday’s only LCS championship came in 2021, even though he was at 100 Thieves as the top lane for around four years.
At the end of the 2023 season, where 100T finished in eighth place, Ssumday entered free agency, although he morphed into a streamer and content creator at 100T. The player hinted at a possible League retirement as early as December.
