Apex pro rocker announces retirement: “I just cannot seem to enjoy it”

Former Cloud9 and NRG Esports Apex Legends pro player Aidan ‘rocker’ Grodin has announced his retirement from the esport, citing a loss of joy playing the game.

Popular Apex Legends professional player and content creator rocker announced that he has retired from competition. The former Apex pro has played for Cloud9 and NRG Esports in the past, finishing in the top 10 at the Apex Legends Global Series Championship in 2022.

In December 2022, rocker parted ways with Cloud9 and started competing on a free-agent team in 2023 with ‘Osivien’ in the ALGS 2023 Split 1. His team failed to qualify for the ALGS Playoffs, finishing outside the top 20 in the 30-team competition.

In his Twitlonger announcing his retirement, rocker said that he was tired of the game and Battle Royale genre as a whole.

“I’ve been lying to myself for a while saying I want to grind and that I enjoy the game, but in reality, I just cannot seem to enjoy it – let alone play the game for more than two hours at a time,” rocker said.

rocker retires from professional Apex Legends

The now-retired professional esport player said in his retirement post that competing in Apex felt more like a side gig to him compared to content creation and streaming. He also said that he could see himself returning to professional esports, but that it would be in a new genre of game.

“From grinding as a complete random at the start of the game with Nathan ‘Nafen’ Nguyen to playing on a stage in front of thousands of people, it’s been surreal and I have no regrets. I’ll still be around here and there in streams and stuff, but yeah no more apex for me,” rocker said.

The 19-year-old gamer can be found streaming to fans on Twitch instead of competing on stage in 2023.