Former League of Legends (LoL) player and coach Jason ‘WildTurtle’ Tran has announced his retirement from the game’s esports scene.
The news was shared on March 12th via a video on Shopify Rebellion’s social media, where WildTurtle last worked as a coach.
In the video, the LoL veteran talked about his career and why he chose to retire: “It’s a really bittersweet moment for me to be in this seat and tell you guys that I’m retiring…
“Why am I retiring? I think my enjoyment with the esports space has finally come to an end, and I started enjoying other things like skiing, spending time with my family, spending time with the pets.”
WildTurtle added that he’s been in esports for 13 years and it’s time to ‘close that chapter.’
How WildTurtle Became a Pro Player
WildTurtle’s LoL journey began in high school, where the MOBA title surged in popularity. Although he was not initially interested, WildTurtle later attended his first LoL LAN events and continued competing during college.
“When I was first starting to play League, I never even thought I was going to be a pro player,” he said. “I kinda just played for the fun of it. […] So it was honestly like a dream come true that it just happened naturally.”
In 2013, he signed with Cloud9 as a botlaner. However, his breakthrough happened when he was offered the opportunity to be a last-minute substitute player for TSM during the LCS Spring 2013. Following a historic Pentakill during his LCS appearance, WildTurtle helped secure his first championship title as well as a permanent spot on the team.
Throughout his many years in professional LoL, WildTurtle played for several North American esports organisations, including FlyQuest, Counter Logic Gaming and Immortals. However, he later transitioned to coaching, a decision on which he also reflects in his retirement post: “Coaching is very very hard.
You kinda spend the same amount of time as a player would because you are there with the team the entire time. So coaching is much harder than it seems, which is also why I have to hang up the towel.”
Thanking the Fans and Community
Still, WildTurtle looks back at his time in LoL esports with gratitude: “Video games have been a really good avenue for me to connect with friends and grow as a person, get better at communicating. [It] taught me a lot about emotions. Honestly, video games have really helped me a lot throughout my life, and I’m very very grateful…
I think League of Legends changed my life in the way that I got to travel and meet friends all across the globe. […] You feel like you reach a lot of people, you touch a lot of people’s hearts with your gameplay.”
Moreover, the Canadian LoL veteran plans to remain involved in the game’s community and use his platforms to support up-and-coming talent.
The video ends with WildTurtle thanking his fans: “Is it cliché if I just say ‘Thank you for supporting me throughout my entire career. I appreciate all my fans and hope you guys are all doing well now.’”
