Letter from the Editor: In Memory of PHiZZURP

Around noon EDT on Sunday, Oct. 2, I was driving to my cousin’s house. As an avid fan of the National Football League, I was looking forward to spending the day with my cousin just watching football. However, nothing could prepare me for the message I was about to receive.

I never use my cellphone while driving, but for whatever reason, I saw the Slack notification on my phone and decided to see what it was. After reading just one simple line, I had to pull over. I couldn’t keep driving.

I’m not here to act like I was best friends with Phillip “PHiZZURP” Klemenov; I never even got to meet him. But, since I started following Call of Duty all the way back in Call of Duty®: Black Ops, he was by far one of my favorite players in the community.

One of the first Major League Gaming events that I remember the most is MLG Raleigh 2011, where PHiZZURP was an integral part in Team FeaR’s first place finish. I remember almost everything from the events in 2011, but for some reason, Raleigh sticks out a lot in my mind.

I loved playing Search and Destroy on GameBattles, so naturally, I loved watching PHiZZURP for his unique strategies and excellent gameplay. Heading into Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3, PHiZZURP really started to make a name for himself through his YouTube videos and streaming platform. To this day, his “Search and Destroy Clinics” are some of my favorite videos to watch.

Despite his obvious passion for creating helpful and entertaining content, it was clear that PHiZZURP loved to compete. PHiZZURP’s competitive drive propelled him to yet another LAN championship in Call of Duty®: Black Ops II at UMG Dallas 2013 as a member of VanQuish Gaming.

While this was the last major LAN championship that he won, PHiZZURP continued to be a top player in Call of Duty throughout the next three titles. Whether it was UMG online tournaments or official LAN events, PHiZZURP was always considered to be one of the best Search and Destroy players in the game. Now, he will live on in everyone’s memories as one of the greatest Search and Destroy players in Call of Duty history.

His lasting legacy will be everything that he has given to Call of Duty as a whole; all of the unique strategies, all of the YouTube videos, all of the laughs and all of the celebratory smiles. In Call of Duty’s infancy, PHiZZURP was a pioneer for the game and hundreds of fans and players will honor him through emulating his playstyle for as long as Call of Duty exists as an esport.

PHiZZURP will be truly missed. I, as well as the rest of GAMURS, would like to send our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to anyone else impacted by this tragedy. Rest in peace, Phil.

What is your favorite memory from PHiZZURP’s career? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting us @GAMURScom.

Justin Binkowski is the Managing Editor for GAMURS and he can be contacted by email at justin.b@gamurs.com or on Twitter @JBinkk.