Jordan "EyeIgnite" Stellon, formerly of TSM and Team Envy, announces retirement from Rocket League

Jordan "EyeIgnite" Stellion has announced his retirement from professional Rocket League drawing the curtain on an almost four-year career that saw him forge a path from amateur teams to tasting success at the very top of the game while playing for esport organisations such as Team SoloMid, Team Envy and, most recently, AS Monaco.

(Picture: AS Monaco)

The English Rocket League star's announcement was indicative of his entire career, unassuming and professional. In a Tweet, he said: "So, it's about time I officially retire from RL. It's been an unreal journey playing this for so many years, from AM to PRO. Travelled the world and met so many lovely folks, but now I gotta focus on other things in life."

"Thank you for all the love and support over the years."

EyeIgnite made a name for himself as a clinical striker, and first came to prominence as part of the Team Envy roster. He cemented his status as one of the games best players though, when he replaced Marius "gReazymeister" Ranheim on We Dem Girlz. It was here that he struck up a partnership of sorts with Remco "remkoe" den Boer, EyeIgnite would play some of his best Rocket League with the Dutchmen, finishing 3rd in the Season 6 World Champion and winning the ELEAGUE 2018 defeating Cloud9 4-1 in the final.

We Dem Girlz then became Team SoloMid, but performances never quite reached their previous heights, a second place in June 2019's DreamHack Dallas withstanding.

EyeIgnite found himself off the TSM roster heading into RLCS Season 8, but always a fierce competitor he took the opportunity to kickstart his career dropping into the Rival Series to help AS Monaco in their promotion bid.

He took on the role as the well-travelled pro helping guide a team with two quality, but inexperienced, youngsters in Maik "Tigreee" Hoffman and Alex "Extra" Paoli to promotion. AS Monaco would finish 2nd in the regular season before defeating all before them in the Promotion Playoffs.

The return to the RLCS was well-deserved, but ultimately a step too far for the side who struggled to exert their playstyle on superior opposition, with EyeIgnite himself seeming unsure of what role he should be playing. Extra, a new breed of player, mechanically insane and prone to taking up the sort of positions in which EyeIgnite had found so much success earlier in his career. The confusion led to some calamitous performances and they would end the season winless.

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And while this isn't the way EyeIgnite would have wanted to end his career in the RLCS, the fact that he was there in the first place was a testament to his skill and fortitude.

Announcing his retirement now, as the RLCS is set for the biggest revamp since it's inception, signals EyeIgnite knew his time at the top of the game was up. He leaves it in a better way than he found it, like so many of the teams and the players that he played with.