VCT Game Changers Star Announce Retirement for 2025 Competitive Season

Ava “florescent” Eugene, a standout player from the VCT Game Changers circuit and star of team Apeks, has announced her retirement from competitive Valorant this year and is reportedly returning to her home country, Canada.

Via their social media, Apeks management announced that florescent will not continue competing in the VCT 2025 circuit and is seeking a short-term replacement ahead of next week’s resumption of VCT EMEA 2025: Stage 1. The 18-year-old player seems heavily stressed with her new life in Europe, which contributed to this decision.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the following news. as of this week, Ava ‘florescent’ Eugene will retire for the remainder of the VCT 2025 season.

Having competed at the highest level of Valorant ever since, she’s had to sacrifice the majority of her teenage years in order to compete, which has eventually started taking its toll. Relocating to Berlin also created a bigger distance between her and her friends and her family at home,” the statement read.

Florescent personally confirmed the news on her social media, emphasizing her struggle to adjust to life in Germany. The Vietnam-Canadian asked fans to respect her decision and refrain from spamming her team’s social media with negative comments.

Her departure comes as a surprise, given her tenure with Apeks lasted less than six months. As the first transgender player to rise from the VCT GC circuit to the main VCT stage, florescent has been an inspiration to minority communities seeking to showcase their talents in top-tier esports.