Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen told followers in a recent stream that he will not be returning to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Jamppi received a VAC ban in 2015 that didn't allow him to compete in any of Valve's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments. The CSGO prodigy was then booted from OG due to his inability to play, severely stunting his esports career. Even though ENCE surprisingly signed him after, Jamppi had a continuous legal battle with Valve and was still not able to compete at majors.
Going into 2021, it seemed that Jamppi's long fight to unban his account was not going anywhere. In response, the Finnish FPS pro decided to leave CSGO altogether. He shared a video on Twitter at the end of January in which he stated that there is "nothing he can do" about the ban. Instead, Jamppi moved to Team Liquid's Valorant roster.
"I hope there is nothing that can stop me [in Valorant] like any bans. It's mentally a good thing. I can play free and compete, and hopefully become one of the best players in that game," Jamppi said.
CSGO losing pro players to Valorant
Even though the move to Valorant was understandable, CSGO fans have expressed frustration at losing another talented pro player to Valorant, Riot's new tactical shooter. Valve then announced in April that only players that received a VAC ban in the past five years would be disqualified from tournaments and events. This meant Jamppi could make his return.
During a recent stream, viewers asked Jamppi if he would ever be coming back to the Counter-Strike scene.
"Don't be mad, guys, but I'm going to stick to Valorant," Jamppi responded.
He said it was "for sure" that he wouldn't return to CSGO at this time. While the decision was "extremely hard to make," Jamppi added that he hopes there aren't too many people upset about his decision.
Jamppi and the rest of the Team Liquid squad will be competing at the Valorant Champions Tour Masters Reykjavik LAN event on May 24. This will be the first in-person Valorant tournament since the game's esports scene was launched.
