Gabriel "LaXInG" Mirelez, one of the most tenured Rainbow Six Siege professionals, has announced his retirement from professional play. LaXinG first entered the season in 2016, becoming one of the first pro players for Ubisoft's new Rainbow Six title. He first found success with EXcellence Gaming One, which later became Elevate.One. After winning the 2017 Six Invitational One, LaXInG switched to the more popular PC scene. Following Elevate's struggles, LaXInG had spells with CLG and beastcoast in early 2018 before signing with Cloud9. After another strong tenure, LaXInG earned another top-three finish at the Six Invitational, placing third with Team Reciprocity in 2019.
Reciprocity was acquired by Oxygen Esports in 2020 and the team became a perennial contender in North America. However, the power balance had shifted, and the domestic success didn't translate internationally. LaXInG left Oxygen at the end of 2022, signing with Parabellum. However, Parabellum was an organization in flux and made very little impact on the North American scene. LaXInG announced his retirement about three months after his last professional match. He last played in Parabellum's attempt to qualify for Gamers Without Borders.
LaXInG Steps Away
"I am going to be OFFICIALLY RETIRING from competitive, I will be posting my video tomorrow in the afternoon (CST) laying it all out and letting you know my plans for my future going forward! I appreciate all of you truly!❤️ Stay tuned👀," the player wrote on Twitter. In his follow-up video, also posted to Twitter, he went into more detail about his decision. Mirelez said he had been considering retirement for "about a year." Furthermore, as to what came next, Mirelez said he wasn't entirely sure. However, he expressed an interest in doing some analyst work or casting work. Regardless of what he does next, congratulations to LaXInG on a truly phenomenal career.
The Rainbow Six season is currently in an extended offseason between splits. Most leagues are expected to return in September. Furthermore, teams will be fighting for spots at the Six Major Atlanta, which is set to take place in November. However, it's going to be weird when the North American league returns to not see LaXInG on a roster.
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