100 Thieves Hiko retires from professional VALORANT

The captain of the 100 Thieves Spencer “Hiko” Martin has announced his retirement from the professional VALORANT game and will instead only create content for the org in the future. It looks like the VALORANT line-up of the Thieves will also be restructured soon.

Hiko ends VALORANT career

The organization announced the news on Tuesday, April 12 and informed fans of the immediate change. As a result, the team now has a total of three open spots ahead of VCT Phase 2, but that does not include Sean “bang” Bezerra, as the player is currently on loan to TSM but will be returning to the 100 Thieves.

Thieves CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag paid tribute to Hiko’s career and accomplishments as he led the VALORANT team in 2020, “We knew right away that Hiko had to be a part of the 100 Thieves,” Nadeshot said. “From the very beginning when he signed with us, he believed in our vision. He has helped us build some of our lineups over the last few years. It’s just been a pleasure to have him as part of our organization.”

The 32-year-old Hiko has long been the hallmark of the VALORANT lineup from the 100 Thieves, leading most lineups from the organization’s experimental PUBG team to a lineup full of former high-profile CS:GO pros. His loss is not an easy one for the organization, even if they don’t lose Hiko completely.

Hiko remains content creator for the Thieves

After a long and eventful career in CS:GO and VALORANT, however, it’s over for Hiko for now. He has led some of the most exciting teams North America has ever produced and has had some success. Still, he’s looking to retire from competition for now. “Thank you for being a part of my 14-year journey,” he said. “I can’t express how grateful I am for my fans, my Twitch community and 100 Thieves. I love you all!”

Hiko is a familiar face – not only in VALORANT, but also in CS:GO, where he used to pursue a career. When he moved to VALORANT, Hiko and the 100 Thieves won First Strike, the first major regional event, and for the American player, it was the first trophy in his new career.

The lineup quickly made a name for itself as one of the most promising in all of North America, with Hiko mentoring and guiding some of the younger professional players, such as Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk. But fans are fortunate enough not to lose him completely, as he will continue to be featured full-time on 100 Thieves as its newest content creator. This doesn’t mean he’s completely gone from the scene – we just won’t see him in a competitive environment from now on.