CoD Pro player forced to retire at 25 after suffering thumb injury

[Jet_ski]

Summary

A hand injury has forced professional Call of Duty star Thomas 'ZooMaa' Paparatto to step away from the eSports scene.

 

The news comes with the New York Subliners pro admitting that playing on with the thumb injury “just isn't possible anymore,” with the 25-year-old out of action for the “foreseeable future.”

 

In a Twitter statement, the former FaZe gamer explained just how upsetting the decision was to make.

 

“It breaks my heart to step away from a game I put my heart and soul into every single day for eight years. Going through that process of getting healthy again was one of the hardest things I ever had to do both physically and mentally, which led to a lot of stress and anxiety,” he commented.

 

The announcement has seen Paparatto receive huge amounts of support from fans and teammates, with fellow New York Subliners star James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks writing: “Got a pic of us up on the wall in my room and it ain't coming down. Nothing but love for you and the fam."

 

Quotes

Quote

The thumb and wrist issues that have hampered Paparatto have meant that competing right at the very top had become increasingly difficult, with the New York Subliners man finding it difficult to express himself through his gaming.

 

My thoughts

Now that I’ve stopped laughing, I wish him a speedy recovery.

 

Sources

https://www.givemesport.com/1641208-call-of-duty-pro-player-forced-to-retire-at-25-after-suffering-thumb-injury

[suicidalfranco]

meanwhile here i am still playing football with an injured knee for the past 3 years

[jagdtigger]

12 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

It breaks my heart to step away from a game I put my heart and soul into every single day for eight years.

Read: It breaks my heart that now i have to get a real work but i dont have any kind of education beyond the basics because i busy chasing my dreams while ignoring reality.

[DoctorNick]

6 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Read: It breaks my heart that now i have to get a real work but i dont have any kind of education beyond the basics because i busy chasing my dreams while ignoring reality.

He could probably be a streamer or esports commentator

[PCGuy_5960]

19 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Read: It breaks my heart that now i have to get a real work but i dont have any kind of education beyond the basics because i busy chasing my dreams while ignoring reality.

Do you think the same for regular athletes too? He's probably already made a few millions off of salaries and prize winnings alone and he was on FaZe, so he already has a decent enough job set up for him as a content creator (Having FaZe in your name is probably enough to get you a few hundred viewers on twitch).

[Drama Lama]

Just like real sports

[Master Disaster]

Fun fact: David Beckham had his right foot insured for millions. Athletes need all their appendages in good working order otherwise they cannot perform.

[jagdtigger]

1 hour ago, PCGuy_5960 said:

Do you think the same for regular athletes too?

Yes, its their own fault for taking a gamble without a plan B.....

[Master Disaster]

6 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Yup, its their own fault for taking a gamble without a plan B.....

I think you wildly underestimate what it takes to become a professional athlete, most have sports science education and coaching is a very easy and natural progression. If you get really good then you'll likely also receive media training which means you can progress into presenting and/or commentating.

 

Their chosen sport can be both plan A and B, at most it takes a few years of additional training.

[ToboRobot]

Robotic prosthetics? 

[PCGuy_5960]

6 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Yes, its their own fault for taking a gamble without a plan B.....

I don't really follow COD esports so I did a quick search. This guy has been playing pro since 2013, has more than 100K followers on Twitch and is still playing COD with a mouse and keyboard (The injury only affects his ability to play with a controller). I think it's safe to say that the gamble he took most likely paid off and judging by his twitter, his plan B (streaming) seems to be working too. That comment was most likely him genuinely being disappointed that he can't compete (COD esports is controller only), because like most competitive players, he is a very competitive person.

[jagdtigger]

2 minutes ago, PCGuy_5960 said:

I think it's safe to say that the gamble he took most likely paid off

 

8 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Their chosen sport can be both plan A and B,

Then its a nothing burger and as such shouldnt be considered as news, let alone tech news.

[PCGuy_5960]

1 minute ago, jagdtigger said:

Then its a nothing burger and as such shouldnt be considered as news, let alone tech news.

You're right actually,

 

-Moved to General Discussion-

[JZStudios]

It's a good thing it's an easily transferable skill to high level jobs like burger flippers.

For people talking about how long he's been in the game, you vastly overestimate the amount of money they make. Especially if they don't win first place. Once you're pro level in real sports you're basically guaranteed real insurance and a high dollar paycheck. "Esports" only give you some, some money if you win, and I've heard of contracts that intend for you to pay the team manager fees if you lose.

[NineEyeRon]

6 hours ago, jagdtigger said:

Yes, its their own fault for taking a gamble without a plan B.....

You can say that for any sport, it doesn't always pay off. Until scholarships for e-Sports comes in (not aware of any but please prove me wrong) then there will be a disparity between sports and e-Sports.

 

There will be other money making options like coaching, streaming, analysis etc so it may still "pay off" for years to come even if not competing.