On October 23, 2024, professional player Zest, known for his performances with DRX and Bleed Esports, announced on his Instagram page that he would be taking a temporary break from the competitive Valorant scene.

Zest revealed that in recent months he has been feeling a decrease in motivation and fatigue, which led him to take a break.

Although this message is a bit late, I’ve decided to take a temporary pause. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I need time to recover.

he said

The player also mentioned that he has been struggling to maintain his best form and would like to return to competing only after a full recovery.

At 23 years old, Zest joined DRX back when the team was still known as Vision Strikers, where he played as the initiator Sova for a long time. Throughout his career, he has often been moved to the bench but would later return to the main roster and continue to deliver high-level performances.

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In 2023, Zest was benched due to the arrival of a new player, Foxy9, and became a free agent in December of that year. In January 2024, he officially left DRX and joined IAM, with whom he made it to the main stage of the "VCL Korea 2024 Split1" tournament. However, Zest left IAM in March.

In the 2024 season, Zest joined Bleed Esports, but the team finished the season with 1 win and 11 losses, facing roster changes and internal issues. In August, Zest announced he was looking for a new team, noting his proficiency in Korean, English, and partial Japanese, but in October, he decided to temporarily suspend his career.