TenZ and Kyedae break up after six years of VALORANT romance

Olivia Richman Published 08/02/2026

Former pro VALORANT player Tyson “TenZ” Ngo and popular Valorant streamer Kyedae Shymko have revealed a break-up after six years spent together, leaving their followers disheartened by the news. Here’s what the popular couple had to say about their breaking up the relationship and what comes next for the pair.

Why did TenZ and Kyedae break up?

On January 7, Kyedae shared an update on X (formerly Twitter) that revealed the reason for the couple’s break-up: After getting together and beginning their relationship at relatively young ages, the two now feel that they have grown apart and need to be single in order to better discover and understand themselves.

Toward the end of our relationship, we came to a realization that wasn’t easy to accept: we had stopped growing as individuals,” Kyedae said.

She went on to explain how much the two did together, including being joined together through both their work and their hobbies, made the relationship feel like 30 years together rather than six.

“Over time, it became clear that we needed space to grow into our own people separately,” Kyedae wrote. “There was no wrongdoing, no resentment, and no single event that caused this.”

End of TenZ and Kyedae relationship leaves fans emotional

Even though Kyedae showed images of TenZ helping write the break-up letter — and the two even commented on some old posts celebrating their relationship with “this aged poorly” — many fans of the two popular Valorant streamers were left disheartened.

Related: TenZ net worth after esports career

Some fans even joked that they couldn’t believe in true love anymore after seeing the couple’s relationship come to an end after six long years. Others were a little darker in their responses, claiming that TenZ shouldn’t have dated an “e-girl” to begin with, a pejorative meant for female content creators online. But most fans were respectful in their responses, wishing both streamers the best moving forward.

TenZ and Kyedae were engaged in late 2022, leading to many public romantic posts on social media. Kyedae would go on to battle illness, needing to put significant effort towards her care and recovery. TenZ would often share updates about her condition while Kyedae took an indefinite break from streaming.

During their heyday, the two would often stream VALORANT together and share updates about their lives. While TenZ originally had a more public profile as a prolific esports competitor, Kyedae’s own fame grew as her streaming career turned into a great success over time. Fans grew to follow them as a couple as much as individuals.

While many fans were shocked by the latest developments and break-up after such a public and seemingly supportive relationship, Kyedae reassured fans that she and TenZ remain friends and will still continue to support one another.

“We still care deeply about each other and genuinely want the best for one another,” Kyedae wrote. “We’re also incredibly grateful for the time and life we shared together!”

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Featured image credit: TenZ & Kyedae

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.

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