Rocket League esports veteran and two-time world champion Jos ‘ViolentPanda’ van Meurs announced today that he is retiring from professional play, leaving behind an inspiring legacy of domination and persistence.
For long-time Rocket League esports fans, few players are regarded as highly as ViolentPanda, who has competed in every single season of the Rocket League Championship Series while exemplifying true professionalism and leadership on each of his six teams.
ViolentPanda turned heads early in his Rocket League career when his team earned runner up in the Season 2 World Championship. While he was never the flashiest player, his pinpoint passing and ability to bring the best out of his teammates made him an ideal in-game leader and team captain. ViolentPanda’s masterful use of unstoppable infield passes even earned him the European Clutch Playmaker award for most assists in Season 6.
After winning two RLCS European championships and one World Championship with Gale Force eSports, he captained Dignitas through the team’s dominant run from Seasons 5 through 10. During what some call the “Dignitas Dynasty,” the squad won the World Championship in Season 5, earned World’s runners-up in Season 6, and won the European tournament twice.
ViolentPanda (center) lifts the RLCS Season 5 trophy, with Kaydop (left) and Turbopolsa (right)
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After six years of Rocket League competition, ViolentPanda’s RLCS resume is among the top in history with a total of four European championships and two, back-to-back World Championship wins. It’s no wonder that he feels comfortable stepping away from playing; he stated in his retirement announcement that he has accomplished “everything [he] could ever want to as a player,” but would love to stay in the scene as a coach or manager.
While new talent is constantly pouring into the Rocket League scene, players like ViolentPanda represent the long-term stability, leadership, and refined talent that a team can build around. After years of captaining one of Rocket League’s best-ever teams, persevering through and recovering from painful tendonitis in his thumbs, and establishing himself as a highly respected figure in the community, there’s no doubt that Jos ‘ViolentPanda’ van Meurs can make an incredible team coach and will continue to make a mark on the Rocket League scene for years to come.
