Karel ‘Twisten’ Aenbrener, a member of Valorant Team Vitality, has died at the age of 19. The French organization announced Twisten “passed away last night” in a tweet. The player committed suicide, according to Vitality assistant coach Harry ‘Gorilla’ Mepham. Twisten disclosed in February that he had been struggling with depression for some time and had spent time in a psychiatric hospital due to self-harming.
“This tragic loss deeply saddens us, and at this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” Vitality stated. We will suspend all communication for the remainder of the day because the news has crushed the whole Team Vitality organization. In a subsequent tweet, Vitality discussed the significance of mental health and urged anyone experiencing difficulties to get help.
A rising star of Valorant
Team Vitality, one of Riot’s ten partners, hired him for the VCT EMEA league before the year ended. He made his international debut at VCT LOCK//IN, where the squad finished ninth to sixteenth. Twisten skipped the start of the post-game press conference after the Round of 16 loss to Leviatán, 0-2. He later described the reason for his absence as having been affected hard by the outcome and needing some fresh air. Additionally, he disclosed that he had been struggling with depression “for two years” and that his mental health had deteriorated since the end of 2022.
Twisten gained notoriety before VCT LOCK//IN for his promise to donate €25 (USD 27) for each frag with a Shorty in the competition. For the 58 Shorty murders in So Paulo, he sent €1450 (about USD 1553) to Hunderettung Europa, a non-profit animal welfare organization. Twisten later assisted Team Vitality in finishing fifth and sixth in the VCT EMEA League. The team is scheduled to participate in the region’s last qualifying Round for Valorous Champions, set for July 15–23. The qualification champion will earn a spot in the championship game.
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