- Hiko leaves 100 Thieves VALORANT roster ahead of VCT Stage 2
- The player’s 14-year-long career has seen him solidify the organization as one of the top NA esports organizations
- He will continue being a full-time content creator with 100 Thieves
CS:GO and VALORANT legend Spencer “Hiko” Martin retires from competitive play, leaving behind him a lasting legacy.
Hiko Retires from Pro Play
Esports stars often retire from professional play young, but some retiring players amass many years of experience by the time they stop playing on the big stage. This is the case with former 100 Thieves captain and longtime FPS legend Spencer “Hiko” Martin.
The VALORANT veteran is retiring from pro play ahead of expected big VCT 2022 roster changes. The company announced Hiko’s retirement on April 12. This now leaves 100T’s VALORANT team with three open spots, not including Sean “bang” Bezerra who is on loan from TSM, to fill ahead of VCT Stage 2.
“We knew immediately Hiko had to be a part of 100 Thieves,” said 100T founder Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, paying tribute to the pro player’s career. Nedshot praised Hiko for his diligence and firm belief in the team’s strategy and goals. “He helped architect some of our rosters throughout the last couple of years. It's just been a joy to have him a part of our organization.”
The Legacy Hiko Leaves Behind
The 32-year-old former captain of 100 Thieves’ VALORANT team leaves behind an impressive 14 years of career. Over the years he has been seen as the face of 100T’s VALORANT project. He led the organization from its early PUBG experimental lineup to the star-studded roster filled with ex-CSGO pros like Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella and Joshua “Joshua Nissan” Nissan.
Hiko’s CS:GO and VALORANT career stretched many of North America’s best teams. He thanked his former team on Twitter, saying how much he loves his organization, fans, and Twitch community.
Being one with such a long career in professional FPS play, Hiko was instrumental in helping 100 Thieves to win the first major regional event with their win at First Strike, the American's first trophy of his storied career. He helped solidify 100T as one of the staple esports organizations in North America.
Due to his many years of experience, Hiko is sometimes known as the “dad” of the CS:GO community, helping raise talents like Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk and Quan “dicey” Tran. His influence will surely still be felt as from now on he will be one of 100 Thieves’ newest full-time content creators.
As for the organization itself, Hiko’s retirement is yet another part of a bigger change 100T is going through. Just a couple of weeks ago 100 Thieves added Sean “sgares” Gares and Daniel “ddk” Kapadia to the coaching staff. But with just Ethan (IGL), Asuna, and Bang left on the roster, the organization needs to find two more talents before the start of VCT Stage 2.
