Esports organization North have revealed that they have reached an agreement to part ways with Markus “⁠Kjaerbye⁠” Kjærbye effective immediately. The 22-year old CS:GO Rifler has been out of commission since May for medical reasons. In their statement, North stated that both partiess had agreed to the move and worked to allow Kjaerbye to move on to this next goal.

Kjaerbye appears to be much better now following his medical issues. Before dropping out of play in May, he indicated that abdominal pains, breathing problems, and chest issues were preventing him from playing at his best. Since recovering, he states that he still has much to offer teams for CS:GO.

Speaking about this recovery, Kjaerbye states, “I’ve been really happy at North, but it has also been a bumpy road with many changes, and I feel that this break has made me see more clearly." Hopefully Kjaerbye will be back at his best in no time, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Unfortunately, the medical problems faced by Kjaerbye are not out of the ordinary for professional esports players. The unfortunate reality of reaching the top levels of esports play for most games is rooted in a heavily sedentary lifestyle, which brings significant health risks. It is not abnormal for these players to spend most of their day sitting at a computer, practicing over and over to sharpen their skills.

In a recent interview with Rainbow Six Siege’s FoxA, the top-level player described how on average the team was expected to play for between 8-10 hours a day, with breaks for meals only with a day off per week.

The result can be a range of negative effects on the body, ranging from back issues, carpal tunnel syndrome, cardiovascular problems, and more. Unfortunately, staying at the top of one’s game to compete against world-class players demands nothing less than this kind of a routine, but it can be difficult to live with.

Kjaerbye is hopefully now on the road to a full recovery, and it will be interesting to see where he goes next. North meanwhile has not announced any further changes to their roster, but we would not be surprised to hear of something in the near future. The organization has not done well over the past year in competitive play, and some fresh blood might help get them into at least the top 20, something that has not been possible so far in 2020.

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