By Ben Husband,Patrick Austen-Hardy

Copyright walesonline

Darts fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Luke Littler has made it clear he won’t be walking away from the oche. The teenage sensation dropped a bombshell video on Thursday hinting that he would take a hiatus from the sport to concentrate on his other passions. Many became concerned the 18-year-old, who has already claimed the World Championship and the Premier League , was prematurely retiring from the sport. However, many also had a feeling his video was, actually, a marketing stunt. Those who came up with the theory have turned out to be correct, as he unveiled a fresh video across his social media channels. The clip shows him placing his arrows on a seat before strolling into a care home donning a dressing gown. He then settles down to enjoy the freshly launched EAFC 26, declaring: “Take time to do the things you love, FC26 now on Xbox.” Littler exploded on to the scene during the 2024 World Championship at Alexandra Palace. At merely 16-years-old, he embarked on a magical journey all the way to the final at Ally Pally , defeating stars like Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross, before narrowly losing to Luke Humphries in the showpiece. After the setback, he experienced a remarkable 12 months, too, claiming the Grand Slam, the World Series and the Premier League , the latter in which saw him get his revenge over Humphries by defeating him in the final at the O2 Arena. Returning to Ally Pally a year on, he overcame Michael van Gerwen to land the crown as the sport’s youngest ever world champion. He has maintained his dominance throughout 2025, securing three additional major trophies, with the world number one spot clearly within his grasp. Therefore, the revelation he was prepared to retire from the sport was inevitably greeted with considerable doubt. In his original video, he declared: “I’ve had an awesome career, I couldn’t have asked for much better for myself. “You know it’s been full on for two years, I’ve done many great things, the Premier League at the age of 17 on debut, the nine-darters on tele, winning the World Championships at 18 – the youngest to ever do it. “I just want to say thanks to all my fans for the support over the last two years, it’s been phenomenal. It’ll shock some people that I’m taking a step back, it’s not been an easy decision, now I want to do something that I love.” However, his true motives became apparent at the conclusion of the footage, with Littler overheard whispering: “Do you think they’ll fall for that?” Despite this, darts supporters were eager for some concrete confirmation – and enthusiasts were thrilled with the ultimate outcome. Darts commentator Stuart Pyke remarked: “Brilliant,” before another said: “Priceless.” A third also added: “Elite.” Littler has been open about his passion for FIFA and EA Sports FC – frequently enjoying the game during breaks between major tournament fixtures. Following his meteoric rise to fame after reaching the World Championships final in 2024, he laughed about possibly spending his £200,000 prize money on FIFA points, a digital currency for the game’s Ultimate Team mode. Littler is set to take the stage on Saturday evening in the Hungarian Darts Trophy in Budapest.