The eSports community mourns the loss of Valorant professional Twisten (Vitality), who passed away on June 6 at the age of 19.
Who was Twisten? Karel “Twisten” Ašenbrener was a Czech eSports player in Riot’s shooter Valorant. At the age of 17, he joined the German organization BIG. Since November 2022, he played for the French team Vitality. He made his international debut with Vitality at the VCT LOCK//IN in São Paulo in February 2023.
Before the tournament, Twisten made headlines by announcing that he would donate €25 for every kill with the Shorty, a short, sawed-off shotgun. In total, he donated €1450 for the 58 Shorty frags at LOCK//IN. The money went to the animal welfare organization Hunderettung Europa.
Team Vitality discusses the importance of mental health
On June 7, Team Vitality announced the death of the young player on Twitter. The statement said that Twisten had passed away the previous night: “We are deeply saddened by this devastating loss.”
An official cause of death has not yet been announced. However, Team Vitality emphasizes the importance of mental health in eSports and in life.
You can find more support options on the homepage of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
You can find worldwide hotlines for suicide prevention here (via WhatsApp).
Twisten was late to the press conference after his team’s exit from LOCK//IN against Leviatán because he seriously struggled with the loss. The 19-year-old also admitted to suffering from depression for two years.
Harry “Gorilla” Mepham, assistant coach at Vitality, wrote on June 7 that he woke up to the news that one of his closest friends had taken his own life. He added that Twisten was like a brother to him. Words cannot describe the sorrow and emptiness he feels.
eSports professionals want to honor Twisten in a special way
Many people have already expressed their grief over Twisten’s death on Twitter, whether they are teammates and friends or fans. Vitality’s in-game leader Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi called Twisten the “most genuine person I have ever met.”
Michał “MOLSI” Łącki said that they lost a “teammate, friend, and brother.” Tomas “Destrian” Linikas wrote that he was a “man with infinite potential, a crazy personality, and above all, the biggest heart that made people around him feel good.”
How others want to honor him: YouTuber and Valorant analyst “RyanCentral” suggested continuing Twisten’s donation campaign for Shorty kills at international events.
Streamer and former team coach of Team Liquid Connor “Sliggy” Blomfield responded to the suggestion by promising to donate €25 for each Shorty kill at the VCT Masters Tokyo and Champions 2023. Numerous other professionals followed suit.
Anthony “vanity” Malaspina from Shopify Rebellion also promised $25 for every Shorty frag at the tournaments. The money will go to a mental health non-profit organization.
Marco Mereu, CEO of M80, said his organization is participating, but he raised the amount to $100 for each Shorty kill. He also included the upcoming Ascension tournaments (via Twitter).
After numerous other eSports personalities announced their participation in the campaign, RyanCentral wrote on the morning of June 8 in our time that he is working on a website for the “Twisten Shorty Drive.” He hopes to be ready in time for the start of the Masters in Tokyo on June 11 (via Twitter).
