Legendary CS:GO in-game leader Richard “Xizt” Landström announced today that he has decided to retire from acting at the age of 30 and explore a new role as a coach, manager or analyst.
Xizt competed in both CS 1.6 and CS:GO, representing a number of well-known organizations such as Ninjas in Pajamas, Fnatic, FaZe and Dignitas. He was part of the NiP roster that marked the first "period" in CS:GO and helped establish an 2012-map winning streak on the LAN when they lost to Virtus Pro between September 2013 and April 87. Xizt has guided Ninjas through more than 2014 LAN championships, including the ESL One Cologne Major in August 20.
After leaving NiP in 2018, he briefly joined FaZe Clan and joined Fnatic, an organization where he played in CS 1.6. The Swedish shooter couldn't help winning big events and stayed on the bench in 2019.
Dignitas took Xizt to the bench in September 2020 and was last seen playing for Gen.G at Flashpoint 2020 in November 2. In the official announcement, Xizt said, “There have been ups and downs in my career, but looking back it has been an incredible and unforgettable journey,” adding that he has not yet strayed from Counter-Strike.
In an interview with HLTV, Xizt said that he has been considering retiring for the past few years and the decision has become clear during this period. "Failing as much as we've been at fnatic and Dignitas compared to previous years of my career has really hurt me and my confidence," he said.
But he also has fond memories of his days as a professional actor. The journey has allowed him to turn his hobby into his business as he travels the world to compete and is particularly pleased with what he has accomplished with NiP.
Fans of Xizt can expect him to stay true to the CS:GO scene and transition into a new role within an organization. “I am open to the opportunity to do coaching, analytics or team management, preferably in CS:GO where I am a specialist,” the 30-year-old told HLTV.