by Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker, a prominent VALORANT player, is taking a temporary leave of absence from professional play following several controversies and an unsatisfactory performance in the VCT 2024 Pacific league’s first split.
BLEED Esports, yay’s organization, cited “health reasons” as the primary factor behind his decision and pledged full support for the 25-year-old star.
This is the second hiatus yay has taken since joining BLEED Esports in September 2023.
His first break occurred just before the VALORANT ONE Pro Invitational due to “unforeseen health issues.”
Ian Huston, BLEED’s Chief Operating Officer, emphasized the organization’s commitment to health and wellness, expressing support for yay’s recovery on X (formerly Twitter).
After concluding the first split, yay has decided to take a temporary break for health reasons before coming back to competing.
We fully support his decision to prioritize his wellness and we're all excited for more yay once he's back in the zone.
Till then, rest up, @yay!… pic.twitter.com/GbR9sJtKaT
— BLEED Esports (@ggBleed) May 13, 2024
Yay’s recent decision comes in the wake of BLEED’s disappointing performance in VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific’s first split.
The team managed only one win against DetonatioN FocusMe while losing five series, including matches against Paper Rex and DRX.
This sole victory was yay’s first competitive win since leaving Cloud9 in the 2023 season, briefly reigniting fans’ hopes before subsequent defeats.
Adding to the turmoil, yay was embroiled in a controversy involving retired pro Amgalan “Genghsta” Nemekhbayar, who accused yay of being a difficult teammate and bribing coach OCEAN during their time at Disguised (DSG).
Genghsta alleged on social media that yay paid the coach $10,000 to bench him.
Yay has not responded publicly to these accusations.
In February, yay revealed he had been dealing with blurry vision, which he claimed affected his performance during a crucial match against Global Esports at the VCT Pacific Kickoff.
The latest announcement from BLEED Esports did not specify if this health issue persists.
BLEED Esports, now one player short, is reportedly moving Crazyguy to the active roster to fill the gap left by yay’s departure.
Fans had high expectations for BLEED Esports after their qualification for the VCT Pacific following a successful Ascension in 2023.
However, with the team’s struggles and yay’s absence, the organization’s plans have been significantly disrupted as they prepare for the second split of the season.
Yay has yet to make any official comments regarding his break.
