Atlanta Reign flex support Steven “Kodak” Rosenberger is transitioning from a player position to a coaching role, the Overwatch League organization announced today.
Kodak has a long history as a professional Overwatch player. He started his career by playing for various Contenders teams such as Mosaic eSports and 6snakes. He eventually competed with the German team at the World Cup Paris Qualifier in 2018, and his performance established him as a talented player.
Atlanta Reign signed Kodak in 2018, and he competed with the team for a few months before being moved to Atlanta Academy in 2019. Kodak eventually made it back to the Atlanta Reign roster earlier this year.
Kodak explained his reasons for the transition in a Twitter post.
“My mental health has been suffering for months,” Kodak wrote. “After hours of thinking and figuring out what would be best for my future and my mental health, I have decided to retire as a player. It’s incredibly hard to let go of something you have given your whole life to, but I am certain this is the right decision for me.”
Atlanta Reign lost another veteran player in DPS player Andrej “Babybay” Francisty, who announced his retirement yesterday. Babybay and Kodak are only the latest in a long list of players stepping away from professional Overwatch.
Kodak will move to a coaching position for the Atlanta Reign for the remainder of the season. The Atlanta Reign will face the Los Angeles Valiant on Saturday, July 18 at 8pm CT.
