Counter-Strike Veteran Ioann “⁠Edward⁠” Sukhariev Finally Announces His Retirement From the Competitive Scene

The Counter-Strike community experienced a setback in the new year with the retirement of professional esports player Ioann “Edward” Sukhariev. After a career spanning over two decades, the Ukrainian rifler took to his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account to announce his retirement from professional esports.

I`ve made the decision to leave the active CS2 ESC roaster and move to a position that will allow me to spend more time with my family as I am soon to be a first time father and don’t want to miss out on anything at such an important chapter in my life. pic.twitter.com/q9rDeUMXv4

— Ioann Sukhariev (@EdwardCSGOD) December 31, 2023

Edward made this major decision after much thought, but more importantly because of a new role that he would soon assume. The 36-year-old would soon become a father and want to spend more time with his newborn and family. Hence, with a CS pro’s hectic schedule, doing so would have been difficult for him.

The Ukrainian pro later confessed how much he loved this first-person shooter. Edward claimed that he wouldn’t be who he is without Counter-Strike. He even promised fans that he would continue to stream CS2 in 2024, as he wants to stay connected to the game. Finally, he concluded the tweet with holiday wishes to everyone.

Huge congrats bro! ❤️

— olofmeister (@olofmeister) December 31, 2023

Congrats mate, good times coming your family’s way ♥️

— Marc Winther (@marcwinther) December 31, 2023

Legend ❤️

— HeavyGod (@HeavyGodCS) December 31, 2023

Congratulations on a truly legendary career and the best of luck in your next chapter of life to you and your family!!
You will be remembered of one of the all-time greats in both 1.6 and early CS:GO <3

— Mintaque (@Mintaque) January 1, 2024

Happy new year Edward, you made a big impact on a lot of people’s lives too, many fond memories of watching you play

— Anders Blume (@OnFireAnders) January 1, 2024

Fans and fellow Counter-Strike professionals wished the best for Edward’s future and congratulated him for becoming a father soon. Everyone also spammed the comment section with “Legend,” as he has had a huge impact on the Counter-Strike community.

What did Edward achieve in his lengthy Counter-Strike career?

Edward’s Counter-Strike career spanned over two decades. He has won many major trophies in CS 1.6 and CS:GO. HLTV has named him amongst the Top 20 Counter-Strike players thrice, while his highest-ever ranking was #5 in 2010. He made his first notable appearance in 2005 but didn’t rise to prominence until 2007.

In his long career, the Ukrainian pro played for many renowned esports organizations like Virtus.pro and Natus Vincere (commonly known as NAVI). His long list of titles includes two Intel Extreme Masters, two ESL Ones, and BLAST Pro Series: Copenhagen 2018. His latest major title was the S-Tier tournament, StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 7.

Fans would definitely miss his mind-blowing skills as a rifler in the competitive scene. However, they can still see him play in the future on live streams, and it would be interesting to see what this new journey has for him.