Vitality star Alphari announces break from LoL competition

Team Vitality player Barney ‘Alphari’ Morris has announced that he is taking some time off from LoL competition.

The English top laner explained in a Twitlonger that he went into this offseason not looking for a team and that his motivation to compete has hit an all-time low after failing once again to achieve his long-awaited goal of winning a split.

“It’s been more and more difficult to feel motivated with this goal in mind, particularly during periods of the now monotonous regular splits. I fear that burnout, and continuously trying to push through it, will only make it more difficult to achieve anything worthwhile, – that is: winning a split, and giving my team my best performances,” Alphari said.

The seven-year veteran has not placed first across the regular season or post-season over his entire career in Europe and North America.

Alphari did not give any assurances that he would compete again, saying: “Either I’ll come back with a new perspective and motivation, still desiring to win, or I’ll find that not playing is more suitable – and nothing lost.”

Alphari to take a break from LoL competition

Alphari’s decision to put his career on hold was first reported by Blix.gg, which added that the player has mutually terminated his contract with Vitality. The French organization will fill the vacant spot with the signing of South Korean player Kyeong ‘Photon’ Gyu-tae, according to Blix.gg.

Alphari burst onto the global stage in 2016, when he joined Misfits Gaming. He went on to play for Origen before moving to North America to play for Team Liquid.

After a year in the LCS, he joined Vitality for the 2022 season alongside Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković, who was also coming off a year in North America, and Matyáš ‘Carzzy’ Orság, forming what many believed to be a European super team. But the squad saw middling results and did not make any international appearances, finishing fifth in the spring split and seventh in the summer split.