SHAH ALAM: Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) star Zul Hisham Mohd Noor, better known by his nickname Xorn, is contemplating retirement at the end of the season.
The HomeBois roamer hopes to shift his focus towards his family, as he is expecting his first child to be born next month.
"Yes, there is that possibility of retirement," said Xorn during a recent interview with Timesport.
"Personally, I feel that I've been in the game for a very long time. I've competed in all 12 seasons of the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Malaysia.
"I'm afraid that if I continue to compete next season, I won't be able to witness my child grow up and take care of my family. So that could be the plan for next season. I say it 'could be' because my friends in the HomeBois team still want me to play next season, so I have to think about this. I will discuss this with my family."
Health is also a factor, as the 23-year-old believes that he hasn't been the same player since contracting Covid-19 a few years ago.
"I was hit hard when I contracted Covid-19 because there were no vaccines yet at the time. It was either in late 2020 or early 2021, I can't remember when it was," he added.
"I was quarantined at MAEPS for about 22 days. When I came out and tried to play MLBB again, I felt different; it wasn't the same as before. It caused me to struggle because I felt that I had lost the skill and the comfort level I had before.
"I felt demoralised. I just didn't feel right; I felt rusty and weak. I tried various methods to heal myself, including cupping (bekam), but I think the effects were the same.
"My condition has improved since then, but I don't think it's possible to return to my original condition. These two factors, fatherhood and health, have made me reluctant to continue."
Domestically, Xorn has little left to prove, having won the MPL Malaysia title twice in season 3 (2019) and season 12 this year when he was also named the most valuable player (MVP).
However, HomeBois still have two major international competitions to participate in this year - the MPL Invitational (MPLI) in Jakarta from Nov 15-19 and the M5 World Championships in Manila from Dec 2-17.
"Personally, I want to win both tournaments, which I know people will say is impossible," he added.
"But with the team we have, I feel confident we can secure the titles despite what people are saying. This will be our first time competing in the M5 event, although I am already quite experienced in international competitions as I have represented the country twice at the Sea Games.
"I am expecting teams from Indonesia and the Philippines to be strong as they are the two most dominant countries in the sport at the moment."
Xorn was part of the national squad that won silver at the Phnom Penh Sea Games in May, going down 3-0 to the Philippines in the final.