“I wanted to expand my opportunities in gaming, I hope to make what I love into my job.” Shoma Uno has joined the e-sports team
Former world figure skating champion Shoma Uno has joined the e-sports team VARREL, aiming to pursue his passion for gaming professionally alongside his skating career.
original source: Nikkansports 1st May 2026
Shoma Uno (28), former world champion in men’s figure skating, has announced his joining of the e-sports team VARREL. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
On the May 1st, a press conference for his joining was held at EVO Japan 2026, an e-sports tournament taking place at Tokyo Big Sight. Appearing in the team uniform, Uno said enthusiastically, “Until yesterday, I was just an unemployed gamer, but from today, as a member of VARREL, I want to be an official gamer.”
Uno is known for his love of gaming, having started game-related activities in 2020 after a collaborative stream with a professional gamer. He retired from competitive figure skating in 2024, began full-scale game streaming in 2025, and made his first appearance at an offline e-sports event in March this year. He has balanced these activities with his work as a professional skater. “From now on, I hope to make what I love into my job,” he said.
VARREL, founded in 2015, is a team with many players active on the world stage. Uno described the reason for joining as “passion.” “I wanted to expand my opportunities in gaming, which I love. I really felt VARREL’s passion and their desire to grow together with me as a team,” he explained.
Related topics: Shoma Uno
Leave a Reply