Team Heretics’ Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius will not compete in next month’s VALORANT Masters Shanghai, the organization announced today. The team has decided to give him a break from competing after he showed signs of burnout and exhaustion in recent weeks.

In a statement released by the team this morning, Heretics said that his condition did not improve during the final days of the VCT EMEA Stage One playoffs, leading the organization to make the “difficult but correct decision” to temporarily move MiniBoo to the bench. Heretics’ VALORANT roster status at Masters Shanghai has not yet been determined, but is expected to be announced soon.

MiniBoo has perhaps one of the toughest schedules of any pro player this season. Team Heretics has had a full schedule after deep runs at EMEA Kickoff and in Stage One while qualifying for two international tournaments. MiniBoo, who is only 18 years old, "combines all of this with his studies."

Concerns about burnout among pro VALORANT players, especially in this condensed season between the top teams, have been raised before the 2023 season has even concluded. The biggest issue with the schedule is the lack of rest between events, which is amplified for teams that qualify for international events, like Team Heretics. Heretics cited the lack of “real breaks” in today’s announcement.