N1CO on life after pro VALORANT

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Before there was a Tier 1 scene in VALORANT, specifically during its early days, many challengers took up their mouse to establish a name for themselves.

In the Philippines, they came from all over, from the bustling concrete jungle of Metro Manila to the distant lands of Visayas and Mindanao. One of those early pioneers from the VALORANT’s wild west era was Dominique “N1CO” Tul-id.

For this Father’s Day 2026 Tech INQ feature, we caught up with the former VALORANT pro from Cebu. We asked him about his pro career, life post-retirement, and how fatherhood is going so far.

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Life after pro VALORANT

Alas, all good things must come to an end. After four years in professional VALORANT, Tul-id retired from competitive play after playing his last matches in 2023.

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He knew it was time to logout from his pro career for good when he realized he wasn’t getting any better anymore.

“Many things got mixed up, especially as you get older and responsibilities start stacking up,” Tul-id admitted.

These days, he is busy being a father. He welcomed his child to the world back in July 2025.

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“So far it was the best thing that has ever happened to me, it changed me a lot,” Tul-id shared. “It wasn’t easy but it was all worth it.”

When asked if plans to come back to the VALORANT pro scene, he simply said he had no plans.

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Instead, he opts to just plays games casually, hangout with former colleagues and teammates, and enjoy spending time with his family of three.

That said, a quick scroll through Tul-id’s social media reveals that he’s constantly reminiscing about his VALORANT past.

He’d be sharing highlight clips or tagging former teammates when he comes across nostalgic photos, sharing quick laughs or witty remarks here and there.

Of course, his main focus these days are his family. If not he’s not reminiscing his VALORANT glory days, he’d be gushing about his child. A cute baby boy who’s about to turn one-year-old in July.

Looking back at his rollercoaster of a career, Tul-id described it as a “hell of a ride”. He shared how challenging the experience was, citing self-doubt, teammate problems, and in-game struggles as the hurdles he had to overcome.

“But through all of that, you will become a better player,” he shared. “Along the way, you will meet people — in-game leaders, teammates, coaches, and others — who will help you grow not only as a player but also as a person, often pushing you beyond your comfort zone.”

The Legend of N1CO

Although he was a first-person shooter pro, Tul-id’s esports aspirations started with a different genre, specifically the oh-so popular multiplayer online battle arena title Dota 2.

For Tul-id, he wanted to become a professional esports player after watching a local television network broadcast Dota 2 tournaments. His favorite team — just like most people who followed the esports scene back in this time — was none other than Team Mineski.

“I was inspired by Team Mineski in late 2015, and I said to myself I want to become [an esports pro].” Tul-id shared during our interview.

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As an aspiring esports pro, he started with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO), racking up small achievements from small tournaments.

Eventually, just like most pros from the early days, he migrated from CSGO to VALORANT in 2020. His first VALORANT team was with MOTV for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Philippines Stage 1: Challengers 3.

However, it was his stint with 6045Pirates that marked his first significant step into the competitive scene, sharing the server with a roster that included future RRQ and Team Secret player James “2GE” Goopio, collegiate standouts Keith “FireSaiyajiN” Madarang and Vince “Flash” Medado, and future NAOS player Carl “SenyorCarL” Carandang.

The 6045Pirates peaked when they represented the Philippines, alongside Bren Esports, for the VCT SEA Stage 2: Challengers Finals, where the Cebuano hopefuls placed in 5th-6th place.

After that, the core of 6045Pirates were acquired Zeal Esports, where Tul-id and co. were at their best playing form as they beat Paper Rex in an international off-season tournament.

Zeal disbanded its VALORANT roster in 2022. Post-Zeal, Tul-id’s career would continue as he was eventually picked up by MVP Esports, but that stint also ended in 2023.

Fatherly Esports Advice

Drawing from his experiences as both a former esports professional and a father, he offers a simple piece of advice to aspiring pros and future dads: make the most of your time before fatherhood and enjoy every moment of it.

“I’d rather die doing something I love, than live doing something I hate,” the former Cebuano pro recalls his esports journey. “But its not always the fun, sometimes life really hits you hard that you can no longer enjoy those things,” he added.

Nevertheless, when asked if he’d support his child if they decide to follow their father’s footsteps as an esports pro, Tul-id will answered with glee. He cites how esports, in this generation, is huge, and that there are many opportunities for people on the esports path.

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“I will 100% support!” Tul-id happily exclaimed.