Team Vitality VALORANT pro Twisten dies at the age of 19

Team Vitality has announced professional VALORANT player Karel “Twisten” Ašenbrener has died.

In a statement on June 7, Vitality said it was “heartbroken” to confirm that the 19-year-old died on June 6. Ašenbrener took his life, according to a tweet from Vitality’s assistant VALORANT coach Harry “Gorilla” Mepham.

Vitality’s own statement said the organization is “deeply saddened by this devastating loss, and our first thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this difficult time.

“The whole Vitality organization is devastated by the news, and we will be stopping all communications for the rest of the day. Rest in peace, Karel.”

Ašenbrener played VALORANT professionally since September 2020, and most notably played for BIG before joining Vitality on November 2022. He competed for the organization in the 2023 VCT EMEA league and made his international bow at VCT LOCK//IN in Brazil.

The Czech opened up after Vitality’s loss to Leviatán, revealing that he missed the start of their press conference due to taking the loss hard after going through a “hard time” in his personal life during Red Bull Home Ground in December 2022. The 19-year-old said he had been dealing with depression for over two years, receiving overwhelming support from the VALORANT community.

At VCT LOCK//IN, Twisten promised to donate $25 to charity for every Shorty frag that took place in the tournament. He donated $1,545 to Hunderettung Europa, a charity that focuses on changing the lives of rescue dogs and cats in Europe.

Following the announcements, Ašenbrener teammates have shared their memories of the 19-year-old. Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi called Twisten “the most genuine human I’ve met,” while Michał “MOLSI” Łącki said they had lost a “teammate, friend, and brother.”

“A man with infinite potential, insane personality, and most importantly, the biggest heart, making people around him feel good even when he’s down,” Tomas “Destrian” Linikas said. “I still can’t believe this is real, and probably never will. No amount of tears can bring my friend back. Rest in peace, brother.”

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.