Apex legend rocker retires after five years of success

Aidan “rocker” Grodin recently announced his retirement from the professional Apex Legends scene. With a three-year career, rocker has been one of the best players in Apex, winning multiple international tournaments and becoming an inspiration for many players around the world.

Rocker played his last tournament at the Apex Legends Global Series 2022 Split One in North America.

He then followed with an announcement via his Twitter account, where he recounted his career and explained why he made the decision:

“I’m done with Apex. I’ve been lying to myself for a while now, saying I want to grind and that I like the game, but in reality, I can’t seem to enjoy it, let alone play more than two hours at a time.”

“I’m tired of competitive BR, and competitive Apex has seemed like a side job compared to streaming for a long time, which sucks. So the next game I play professionally (assuming I’m still playing) will likely not be BR.”

About Rocker

Rocker’s career as a professional in Apex Legends began in 2019 when he started making different videos for his YouTube channel. His talent led him to sign with NRG just a year later.

At that time, Rocker became the third player in the squad, which consisted of Nathan “Nafen” Nguyen and Joseph “Frexs” Sanchez, who currently plays for Spacestation.

There is no doubt that the signing of rocker directly influenced the team’s performance, as they managed to win the ALGS Online Tournament No. 6 in 2020. But it doesn’t end there, as the success in the NA region was just the beginning. NRG won the 2020 NA Winter Circuit Playoffs and finished tenth place in the 2021 ALGS Championship.

Subsequently, the organization lifted trophies in SCARZ CUP, Esports Arena Series E Seasons 3 and 4, and the SteelSeries Prime Cup.

Cloud 9

However, this team could not continue the success in 2022, as they failed to achieve almost no victories in the season. Therefore, despite performing well in the Pro League, the ALGS 2022 Split Two Playoffs and Champions became Rocker’s last tournaments with the team.

Rocker parted ways with NRG after the Championship, becoming a free agent. But, over the next few months, he was signed by another wonderful North American organization, Cloud9.

This signing was given last August 9, 2022, to play the ALGS 2022 Split One Pro League in North America, along with Paris “StayNaughty” Gouzoulis and Zach Mazer.

But, Cloud9’s performance was not as expected; they did not achieve any positive results and did not qualify for the Split One LAN.

The legend retires

There is no doubt that Rocker ended his career as a professional Apex Legends player as one of the most decorated in NA. In addition, on several occasions, he was considered one of the best players in the world.

Rocker’s retirement from professional gaming marks the end of an era in Apex Legends and esports in general. Although he no longer competes at the highest levels of competition, his influence will live on through those he inspired over the years.

Header: Joe Brady/ Electronic Arts