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LUKE LITTLER has broken his silence after fans claimed he dropped out of the Hungarian Darts Trophy to play computer games.
The Darts sensation, 17, announced on Thursday he would miss this weekend’s tournament in Bucharest.
Littler’s last-minute decision came just 24 hours before the first dart was due to be thrown.
The teenager recently saw his unbeaten run of 15 matches ended by World No.70 Maik Kuivenhoven.
He will now take the weekend off ahead of a packed winter schedule.
Fans couldn’t help but notice Littler’s absence came at the same time as the early access release of EA FC 25.
Littler is an Ultimate Team fanatic, a game mode that features in the series previously known as FIFA.
He won over fans in February after being spotted opening UT packs during his Premier League walk-out.
Gamers who pre-ordered the annual football game have the chance to play early from September 20.
A SportsBible Instagram post speculated the game’s release may have something to do Littler’s sudden absence.
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The darts star decided to stir the pot, commenting under the post: “What a coincidence.”
Littler added a tongue-out emoji, with the post racking up over 8,500 likes in under 3 hours.
One fan laughed in response: “This is an elite response.”
Another said: “LUKE THE NUKE, won the Finals last week, weekend off gaming well deserved,”
While a third added: “He’s just 17, let the man enjoy.”
Littler has enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2024.
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.
He recently opened up on his “biggest buy” after winning a NINTH title of the year with the Players Championship.
The teenager has walked away with a stunning £625,000 in prize money since January.
Littler is due to return to the European Tour next week at the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel.