FaZe Clan Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) player Olof “Olofmeister” Kajbjer Gustafsson has announced his break from playing professionally. In a Twitter post to his fans, he expressed that he needs to regain motivation and has felt increasingly fatigued. This statement comes right after FaZe’s Road to Rio game against Astralis, where they lost 2-0.
“To all my fans and FaZe fans,” Olofmeister’s statement begins, “I have decided to take a break from Counter-Strike. […] I have been losing the motivation needed to do myself, my teammates, and the FaZe brand justice.”
A statement from @olofmeister. #FaZeUp pic.twitter.com/WnRnxCPk9p
— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) May 23, 2020
Additionally, Olofmeister received some heartfelt responses from his fellow teammates. “Way too early to quit.” said FaZe team member Nikola “NiKo” Kovač. Another member, Håvard “rain” Nygaard, also thanked him for everything he has done since joining in 2017.
A loss of motivation and fatigue can be a common problem in esports. Recently, League of Legends star Doublelift stated he lost his motivation to continue playing, which resulted in poor performance. Many of Olofmeister’s fans hope that he returns after this rest period, but only time will tell. Olofmeister has played CSGO professionally since 2012, so it may be time for him to take another step back and recover from everything that’s affecting his health.
Previous breaks
This break counts as one of many for Olofmeister, as his first break was in April 2016. He had suffered a wrist injury, making him unable to play for his previous team, Fnatic. He returned to the team after two months, then was picked up by FaZe in 2017. A year later, he took a leave of absence due to personal issues.
Regardless of his time off during his eight-year career, he has continued to maintain an astonishing legacy in the scene. He has had plenty of achievements, including being named HLTV’s best player in the world of 2015. We hope all hope to see Olofmeister return to the pro scene soon.