XigN takes break to start military service

"I will come back stronger," said the 27-year-old South Korean.

Alter Ego IGL Hyun-Pyo "⁠XigN⁠" Lee has announced that he will take a break from competition to begin his mandatory military duties under South Korean law.

"It's kind of sad, because I felt I was starting to understand CS2 more, and my performance was good lately," the 27-year-old wrote in a statement posted on X.

XigN recently attended the Asia RMR, where he could not fulfill his dream of qualifying for a Major. Alter Ego finished 7th-8th at the regional tournament following losses to The MongolZ and Lynn Vision.

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How XigN became the last hope of South Korean CS

In an interview with HLTV before the event, the South Korean had confirmed that his enlistment was coming. He said he could still play and watch CS after work, and expressed his desire to return to competition after finishing his service, which normally takes about 18-21 months.

"I could do something completely different from esports after this, or I could come back, but it might not be CS," he said at the time. "But if there's a competitive team with good players and a place for me, then yes, I would like to return to CS."

A Counter-Strike professional for almost a decade, XigN began competing internationally in 2016 as part of MVP Project. His MVP PK team was one win away from reaching the StarLadder Major but lost three qualifying series, against TYLOO, North and INTZ.

Due to the lack of opportunities in his homeland after several players switched to VALORANT, XigN tried his luck in international CS and played for BTRG, NG, and NKT before linking up with Alter Ego.

"I won quite a lot of Asian tournaments, but I did not manage to attend a single Major as a player in my career," he said. "This situation is unsatisfactory, but I leave no regrets behind as I gave my best through it all.

"I would like to thank all the teammates I played with. I always learned a lot from them and I really appreciate all the fans who have supported me so far.

"I will come back stronger. Thank you!"