Veteran LCS broadcaster Zirene surprises fans, leaves Riot Games
Riot Games is losing another iconic caster.
It seemed like analyst Joshua “Jatt” Leesman had just announced
his switch
from broadcast to balance when Aidan “Zirene” Moon took to Twitter to declare his retirement from LCS shoutcasting.
“I have left to explore and pursue other opportunities,” Zirene said.
Zirene streaming and content creation as his new focus, though he added that he remains open to other opportunities should they come his way.
Five years of shouting
After five years of broadcasting for League of Legends, March 7 was Zirene’s final day. He has been with Riot Games since 2014, becoming a major part of the LCS broadcast in 2015.
Zirene is known for his deep love and vast knowledge of the game. He has said it’s hard for him to keep his analysis short sometimes, believing that there are moments in games that are often looked over and that fans could really learn from them.
He is also known as the Salt Lord, and a salt shaker and photograph of salt were often seen at his desk. This came after Zirene famously said, “It’s not salt, I’m just being real” after delivering some harsh criticism following a TSM match.
“I don’t consider myself a really salty person. But there are times when I want to have the salt affect me and just say, ‘Listen here! This is a serious issue!’ I’m incredibly passionate about these things and want to get my messages across to people,” Zirene said.
A career’s worth of inspiration
It’s still unclear why Zirene stepped down from his position, especially since it’s currently the middle of the 2019 Spring Split. It’s also unclear if he is pursuing over casting opportunities, but what is definitely clear is the impact Zirene had on the League of Legends community.
Zirene was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitus at the age of 14. The pain of the disease mixed with his depression caused Zirene to attempt suicide twice.
In an interview, Zirene said he had given up hope as a teenager. But he wanted to open up about these things because he acknowledged that many people don’t talk about such problems.
“I want people to know that I struggle with this, but I realize there’s more out there. You can get through it. This won’t define who you are,” Zirene said.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
View full profile
Read Also
League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version?
Hannan Mundia
League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode
Hannan Mundia
League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
Valorant
OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it
Khizar Mundia
Several reports suggest that OBS Game Capture is broken, with Valorant and League of Legends streamers only being able to broadcast a black screen. OBS has responded to the issue, confirming that it exists and also provided a way to fix it. Valorant and League of Legends are two of Riot Games’ most popular titles, and they are being streamed on streaming platforms by creators regularly. On July 21, 2026, ...
League of Legends
Dplus sweeps Karmine Corp to win the 2026 LoL EWC grand final
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 grand final just concluded, where Dplus absolutely swept Karmine Corp to win it all. The League of Legends Esports World Cup may only have been taking place since 2024, but it has already become a key international event for fans and professional players. With a large prize pool and consecutive matches with little delay, fans have a blast seeing their favorite teams ...
Esports Betting
Dplus vs Karmine Corp: Best betting odds, picks for Esports World Cup 2026 grand final
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 grand final matchup has been determined, but which team will come out on top between Dplus and Karmine Corp? While there were multiple favorites going into the LoL EWC 2026, few assumed that Dplus and Karmine Corp would make it to the grand final. Both teams have showcased exceptional growth, but only one team can win the top prize. While Dplus is ...
League of Legends
League of Legends EWC 2026 group stage recap: G2 crash out as T1, Gen.G and HLE advance
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends EWC group stage just concluded, and here’s a complete summary of everything that transpired in the two extremely eventful days. The League of Legends Esports World Cup is already making waves for all of the right reasons. While it isn’t nearly as long as the game’s esports fans are usually used to seeing, it’s still packed with awesome matches in which the best teams play each ...
