(‘glow’ in World Esport Masters 2009, Source: hltv.org)
Veteran player and Vision Strikers’ captain, Minsoo “glow” Kim has officially announced his retirement after a decorated 13-year career as a professional esports player.
Debuting back in 2008 on Lunatic-hai Counter-Strike 1.6 roster, ‘glow’ quickly gained prominence, and eventually joined WeMade FOX in 2009, where he stapled his name in the professional Korean FPS community. Although a rather young player at the time, his talent did not go unnoticed at WeMade FOX, and he competed on the main Counter-Strike 1.6 roster alongside his fellow legendary players: Sung Jae “bail” Lee and Keun Chul “solo” Kang.
After completing his mandatory military service in 2016, ‘glow’ rejoined the competitive FPS scene on the MVP PK CS:GO roster, and eventually transitioned to VALORANT in 2020 with the rest of his teammates under the Vision Strikers’ banner; where he led the team to a remarkable 104 wins 4 draws and 2 loss record.
To date, ‘glow’ has competed across four platforms: Counter-Strike 1.6, Counter-Strike Online, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and VALORANT, where in total, he has competed in 124 tournaments and taken an estimated 30 championships throughout the entirety of his career.
Few players have accomplished what ‘glow’ has, and appropriately, the appreciation he receives is utmostly deserved. Always a leader, ‘glow’ was an indispensable asset to any roster he played on, and as one of the first-generation professional FPS players in Korea, his experience truly shined on stage, as his leadership earned not only his captaincy for six years, but also becoming a prime role model for future FPS players.
( ‘glow’ in 2020 VALORANT FIRST STRIKE KOREA, Source: Riot Games)
Minsoo ‘glow’ Kim’s career as a professional esports player is now over. To ‘glow’, who retires a champion, leader, and a true teammate, we wish the same light that shone brilliantly throughout his 13-year career to light even brighter on his new exciting endeavours away from the spotlight.