League of Legends veteran Karsa announces emotional retirement

After 11 years in the pro scene, Hung ‘Karsa’ Hau-hsuan has announced that he’s retiring from League of Legends.

While Karsa is leaving esports behind, he opened up about his future plans in a heartfelt video. He said: “Today, I’m stopping here. Karsa, the player, is saying goodbye. But I’ll continue forward with a new identity.”

Karsa has a long history in League of Legends esports, starting with Flash Wolves in 2015. This is a time that he looks back on fondly, even saying that it’s the ‘happiest period’ of his career.

“Time has really flown by,” he said. “Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can still clearly see the moment I first came to try out for Flash Wolves. Match after match, day after day — before I even realized it, 11 years had passed.”

After competing with Flash Wolves, Karsa found himself playing for RNG, CTBC Flying Oysters and PSG Talon. While this has included many highs (like winning LPL Spring and Summer in 2018, and Mid-Season Invitational 2018), he also discussed some of his tougher challenges.

While competing with PSG Talon, Karsa admitted to not playing his best, unable to carry the team how he’d envisioned. He was reluctant to leave the stage, but felt it was right to ask PSG to replace him.

It was a tough few years for Karsa, who even saw a therapist in hopes of dealing with the mental strain that came along with his ‘downfall.’ He also saw significant improvement in his gameplay thanks to PSG Talon’s former coach, Cheng “CorGi” Pin-Lun.

However, it felt like it was time to leave come 2025.

“Over these 11 years, there were peaks and there were lows. There were many painful moments, and also many moments of joy,” he wrote. “I truly enjoyed every moment on stage. The thrill of competition, the roar of the crowd, and the joy that League of Legends brought me.

“Today, I’m stopping here. Karsa, the player, is saying goodbye.”

The announcement was met with sadness from the League of Legends community, who felt he was one of the best junglers of all time. While they were happy to see him compete at Worlds one last time before retiring, it’s never easy seeing a legend leave the game.

Said one fan on Reddit: “Goodbye, Taiwan’s strongest jungler.”

Karsa did add that he would be taking on a ‘new identity’ after his retirement. In the emotional goodbye video, he said that he will try streaming more for his community. He hasn’t confirmed anything further regarding his future in League of Legends.