The world of esports is in shock. The Parisian e-sports club Vitality announced on Wednesday the disappearance of Karel Asenbrener, better known by his pseudonym Twisten. If the young 19-year-old Czech player, a member of Team Vitality on Valorant, was not necessarily known to the general public, he left an imperishable trace in all those who crossed him.
Starting with his teammates. Finland's Santeri Sassi, aka "Bonecold", world champion on Valorant in 2021, describes his playing partner as "the most authentic man" he has ever met. "He always made us smile," he insisted on Twitter. For his other teammate Destrian, he had "the greatest of hearts".
"He has a real spirit, a good mood and a will hard as iron. But when it comes to an opponent, the duelist no longer shows any sign of compassion, "says Vitality on its website.
Slow depression
The youngest member of Vitality's Valorant mission had above all demonstrated exceptional qualities with the controller in hand. "He was a great talent who wanted to become the best," said his teammate Molsi. After debuting on the shooter Rainbow Six Siege, Twisten performed as soon as Valorant was released in June 2020. After a first stint in a Czech team, he briefly joined two international teams Entropiq and Reject before settling more permanently with the renowned German team Big Clan (BC).
This guy is not human @TwistenVAL đłâĄïž pic.twitter.com/i61wAXLoSI
â Team Vitality đ (@TeamVitality) November 26, 2022
In November 2022, it is "the end of an era" with his departure from BC as he announced himself on social networks. "Without the help of the organization and my teammates, I would never have been able to achieve my dreams and become the player I am today. They helped me develop as a player and as a human being," he said on Instagram. His destination: the Parisian project of Vitality. He follows in the footsteps of the best Czech League of Legends player, MatyĆĄa'Carzzy'OrsĂĄg, who also played for the French team.
If he regularly says he is "very happy" at Vitality, the reality is quite different. Twisten has been suffering from depression for more than two years. "He's a guy with infinite potential and an incredible personality. (...) He did everything to make people feel good about him even though he wasn't," his teammate Destrian said on his social networks. Karel Asenbrener had evoked "difficult periods" that he had gone through, especially at the end of the year with a passage in a specialized hospital.
"This game is all I have in my life"
The one who also plays in front of his fans on the Twitch platform - his longest live had lasted 17 hours and 45 minutes - had pointed the finger at criticism of his performance and that of his team. "If you're mean to my teammates, you're mean to me. All we need now is your support. Yes, we, but never say about my teammates because it means you tell me to me too," he said after his team lost to Valorant.
The player held the position of duelist on the Valorant shooter, his objective being to eliminate opposing players by any means possible. "This game is all I have in my life. Every day, I work hard to go beyond my limits. I know I haven't shone in my last few matches. But from time to time, it's like that (...). I have lived the most difficult moments of my life and only a few people can understand, "he had confided on social networks.
Our first regular #VCTEMEA season is over. Still very sad we didn't make it to the Tokyo. All I wanted to say I wouldn't choose any different people to go through this feeling than my teammates. This season had lot of up and downs but we never stopped and tried our best until... pic.twitter.com/FzurQyAkFa
â Twisten (@TwistenVAL) May 27, 2023
While the cause of Twisten's death has not been officially revealed - his partner Gorilla has evoked "a suicide" - Vitality accompanied its statement with a second tweet on mental health. In it, the club redirects to the website of Mental Health Europe, which brings together organisations and telephone lines supporting people suffering from depression on the continent.
"Mental health continues to be an extremely important topic for everyone, whether in esports or in life in general. If you're going through tough times, contact someone to talk about it, it's never too late. »