NRG's s0m announces competitive break after VALORANT Champions 2025 triumph
NRG's Sam "s0m" Oh has revealed that he'll be stepping away from competitive play following his team's victory at VALORANT Champions 2025 earlier this month.
s0mDuring his break, s0m plans to focus on creating content for Twitch and YouTube, while continuing to watch and support NRG's run in the 2026 VCT season.
"I'll be taking a break. Definitely not forever. I think I'll just be taking a break from competing. I've been doing it for basically ten years now," s0m said in his announcement video.
"I've been doing it since I was 14. And I think that with the recent Champions win, what better time than now to kinda just take a break."
Originally from the Counter-Strike competitive scene, s0m transitioned to VALORANT esports in 2020, the same year he joined NRG. He has been an active competitor for the North American organisation ever since, aside from a nine-month hiatus between 2023 and 2024.
This year, s0m and NRG got off to a slow start in the VCT season, missing out on qualification for both Masters events. However, a surprise second-place finish in VCT Americas Stage 2 earned the team a spot at VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris.
In France, NRG continued to exceed expectations, going undefeated throughout the tournament to claim the prestigious Champions trophy.
"Just looking back at the year, I'd like to think that everything happens for a reason," s0m added.
"We went through a lot of ups and downs with different rosters […] But I truly don't think that without all the experiences that I've been through – not just this year but all the past years – I would be where I am today.
"Adam (mada) and I have talked about it, but when you win with a team, it's truly a different kind of love. I'll be talking about them for a while, and I don't know if I'll ever stop, to be honest. If you guys stop working as hard as you did with me, I'm gonna come back and I'm gonna whip all you guys into shape. So don't do that."