Vanity Retires from Professional Esports

Anthony "vanity" Malaspina has officially stepped away from professional esports. The former Cloud9 VALORANT in-game leader announced his retirement on his X account, reflecting on his journey in competitive gaming and his plans for the future.

Vanity’s career spanned eight years across Counter-Strike and VALORANT. He first made a name for himself in CS:GO, competing with teams like Chaos Esports Club, where he helped the squad qualify for Flashpoint 1 in 2020. However, after Chaos disbanded due to financial difficulties, vanity transitioned to VALORANT, where he continued to build his legacy.

A New Chapter in VALORANT

Vanity’s VALORANT career began in 2021 with beastcoast, where he competed in the NSG x Complexity Invitational. However, his real breakthrough came when he, along with his NeverDone teammates, signed with Version1.

In August 2021, vanity made a major move to Cloud9, where he became a fixture in their roster. Though he was never considered a superstar in the VALORANT scene, he remained a consistent name for Cloud9, even as the organization repeatedly signed and released him in their roster reshuffles.

Despite Cloud9’s status as a top-tier organization, vanity never secured a major trophy in VALORANT. His best result came in 2022 when Cloud9 finished in the top eight at VCT 2022 - Champions Istanbul. However, the team struggled to maintain a stable roster, and vanity’s role within the squad was often in flux.

His final professional VALORANT match took place in 2024, when Cloud9 was eliminated by KRÜ Esports in the first round of the VCT 2024 - Americas Stage 2 playoffs.

VCT 2024 - Americas Stage 2

KRÜ Esports

2

X

1

Cloud9

Upper Bracket Quarter Final, Best of 3 - July 17, 2024 - 9:00PM

13

Abyss

11

11

Lotus

13

13

Haven

6

KRÜ Esports

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

heat

1.46

244

65/36/32

+29

1.81

88.2%

163.9

40%

80%

8

2

Melser

1.12

203

49/43/30

+6

1.14

83.6%

133.3

33%

46%

6

7

Shyy

1.10

215

49/45/25

+4

1.09

78.1%

146.8

31%

58%

7

5

Keznit

1.09

223

51/45/17

+6

1.13

70.0%

157.2

24%

50%

13

13

mta

0.94

192

46/47/8

-1

0.98

77.4%

119.6

34%

50%

3

3

Cloud9

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Xeppaa

0.98

183

42/51/29

-9

0.82

73.8%

131.4

31%

33%

1

2

OXY

0.93

223

51/58/8

-7

0.88

69.4%

142.5

27%

42%

11

15

moose⁠

0.91

196

47/47/4

0

1.00

63.1%

131.5

32%

57%

8

6

runi

0.82

187

40/53/17

-13

0.75

70.7%

120.9

41%

56%

5

4

vanity

0.75

155

36/53/22

-17

0.68

61.6%

99.6

23%

33%

5

10

Following Cloud9’s exit, vanity made the decision to return to Counter-Strike.

A Brief Return to CS2

After stepping away from VALORANT, vanity returned to Counter-Strike with Getting Info, a team that included former eUnited teammate Edgar "MarKE" Maldonado. The roster was rumored to be in talks with TSM, but the deal ultimately fell through. Despite reports from HLTV that TSM was still exploring options for a North American CS2 roster, vanity seemingly lost interest in continuing his competitive career.

Retirement and Future Plans

In his retirement announcement, vanity explained that he had lost his passion for competing. Initially, he believed his frustrations stemmed from VALORANT’s tournament formats and his experience with Cloud9 in 2023. However, after spending time playing CS2, he realized he had simply grown out of professional play.

Looking ahead, vanity plans to return to school to complete his degree while giving full-time streaming a chance for the next six months. If streaming proves unsustainable, he will focus entirely on his studies.

Vanity’s journey in esports was filled with highs and lows, from his time in CS:GO to his run with Cloud9 in VALORANT. While he never claimed a major title, he remained a well-respected in-game leader and a recognizable name in the scene.

As he moves on to new endeavors, his impact on the North American VALORANT and Counter-Strike scenes won’t be forgotten. THESPIKE.GG wishes him the best on his upcoming endeavors, and hope to see him excel in whichever path he chooses to move forward in.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games