A 25-year-old professional video player has had to retire due to a thumb injury.

Thomas “ZooMaa” Paparatto announced that he is “backing out of competitive Call of Duty” On Twitter.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write,” he said, “I’m stepping down and I’m not going to compete anymore in competitive Call of Duty for the foreseeable future.” Separate blog post.

“It breaks my heart to keep away from a game that I put in my heart and soul every day for eight years,” he added. “It was torn as soon as I wrote this, but I don’t know what else to do at this point.”

Paparatto plays for an esports team called the New York Subliners and has won $ 387,019 from 87 tournaments, According to Esports Profits. His biggest prize from a single tournament came in April 2018, when he won $ 53,125 in Call of Duty: Cold War II.

The American player suffered from weakness in his thumb and wrist a few years ago while playing a game called FaZe Clan. Surgery had to be performed as a result.

He said, “Undergoing the process of restoring health again was one of the most difficult things I had to do physically and mentally, which led to a lot of stress and anxiety.” “Unfortunately, the injury came back making it difficult for me to compete at the highest level against some of the best players in the world.”

He said that playing through the pain in his hand is “not possible anymore” and that he does not enjoy the competition when he cannot be the “ZooMaa everyone knows and loves”

Fans and fellow players shared their support after the announcement.

Many professional players train or compete for more than 10 hours per day, and some make more than $ 1 million annually in the process. However, physical and mental stress on the body can sometimes lead to health problems.

Sam Matthews, Fnatic Founder and CEO, He told CNBC In December: “These people are pretty much healthy, but there’s always an anomaly at the base.”