TL;DR
- Alex Ich officially retired from competitive League of Legends after years away from pro play
- The CIS legend secured US permanent residency and now works as a software developer in Santa Monica
- His Moscow 5 leadership produced historic international victories including IEM Season 7
- Streaming with Pittsburgh Knights signaled his departure from competitive gaming
- Fans and family expressed heartfelt support for his career transition decision
The esports community received definitive confirmation about veteran League of Legends competitor Aleksei “Alex Ich” Ichetovkin’s professional status.
After maintaining prolonged silence regarding his competitive future, the celebrated CIS region mid laner broke his silence through social media channels.
Utilizing Twitter as his communication platform, Alex provided comprehensive updates about his current life direction and professional evolution.
“I deliberately avoided composing an extensive retirement declaration, opting instead for concise transparency. My competitive career has concluded, I obtained permanent US residency approximately five months back, and I’ve been employed as a software engineer in Santa Monica since that period. Gratitude to all supporters for their encouragement and memorable experiences,” Alex Ich articulated in his statement.
Alex Ich maintained professional competitor status throughout League of Legends competitive seasons two through six, representing an impressive five-year tenure at the highest level.
His competitive journey spanned multiple major regions, including consistent representation for CIS squads, strategic engagements with European organizations, and competitive appearances across North American teams.
This extensive regional experience provided him with unique perspectives on international playstyles, meta adaptations, and organizational structures across different competitive landscapes.
Alex Ich’s most significant competitive contribution remains his instrumental role in establishing Moscow 5’s legendary roster and infrastructure.
Under his strategic leadership and mid lane dominance, the organization achieved remarkable international success, most notably securing the Intel Extreme Masters Season 7 championship against formidable opponents Azubu Blaze.
Following his 2014 departure from the organization he helped build, Alex embarked on a two-year global competitive journey that presented numerous challenges and organizational transitions.
Following Team EnVyUs’ dissolution, Alex Ich transitioned into a content creation role as an official streamer for the Pittsburgh Knights organization.
This career shift served as the initial concrete indicator that the former professional competitor would not resume his position on the competitive stage.
The competitive community expressed genuine disappointment upon receiving the official news, yet simultaneously demonstrated overwhelming support and appreciation for Alex Ich’s substantial contributions to the professional scene.
His spouse Yekaterina Ichetovkina actively participated in community discussions, contributing to a Reddit conversation thread where she confirmed the retired professional’s sincere appreciation for the extensive encouragement received.
“Alex dedicated his entire evening to reviewing this community discussion, expressing genuine warmth and appreciation through visible smiles while absorbing the numerous supportive messages contributed by fans,” Ichetovkina shared with the community.
Action Checklist
- Evaluate long-term career sustainability in esports versus traditional professions
- Develop transferable skills during competitive career for post-esports opportunities
- Establish clear communication strategy for career transition announcements to community
- Leverage existing fanbase and industry connections for new career opportunities
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Alex Ich retires from pro play Alex Ich transitions from League of Legends pro gaming to software development career after legendary esports journey