Who was Technoblade, Minecraft YouTuber dead of cancer at 23

BBC

YouTuber Technoblade, who played Minecraft, has died aged 23, his family confirmed in an emotional farewell video posted on his behalf. The video — titled “See you later, nerds” and posted to his 10 million followers — showed Technobable’s father calling his son “the most amazing boy anyone could ever want to have.”

Technobable became an internet celebrity in the US by live-streaming and posting clips of himself playing the game. Last year, he revealed to his fans that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The farewell message, written hours before his death and read by his father, read: “Hello everyone, Technoblade here. If you’re watching this, I’m dead.”

In the message, he reveals that his real name was Alex, and remembers a time he played a prank on his viewers, saying his name was Dave. “Thank you all for supporting my content over the years,” he continued. “If I had a hundred more lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every time, because those were the happiest years of my life.”

The internet celebrity — who has won Minecraft tournaments and won over legions of fans talking about his life in a good-natured way while playing games — said in February that he had undergone chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to try to save his arm after a painful tumor in your right arm.

He released his cancer diagnosis in August 2021, explaining that he initially thought the pain he was experiencing was from a repetitive strain injury from playing video games too much. After his arm became swollen, he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with cancer.

Little is known about Technoblade, who preferred to hide his true identity until the end. His online avatar was a picture of a pig with a crown. He had 10.8 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. His profile on the video platform reads: “I play a lot of video games. I may not be the best, but I have hot elbows.”

‘PLANNING IN THE SKY’

Following the news of his death, fans, other players and YouTubers paid tribute on the internet. “I’ll never forget the day I met Technoblade,” recalled YouTuber J Schlatt. “I left work early to play a Minecraft tournament with him. I barely knew how to play… and the guy still carried us and we won the championship. Rest in peace, giant. You will always be a legend.”

YouTuber Captain Puffy, aka Cara, wrote on Twitter: “Rest in peace Technoblade. He always treated me with pure kindness and never excluded me from anything. He couldn’t be nicer! Thank you for everything you’ve done for this community , she will never be the same without you”.

YouTuber Tommy Innit said, “Technoblade is a legend. I was a huge fan and I became one of his real friends. I can’t describe how grateful I am to have been in his life. I just know he’s planning in heaven how to win God…”

“I’ve been watching Technoblade for an hour again,” said YouTuber Ludwig Ahgren. “He was so witty and so humble, even in the most difficult times. I will always look up to him.”

Online personality Quackity also expressed gratitude, posting, “I had the opportunity to express to Technoblade how much admiration and respect I had for him, not only for the massive impact he had on all of us, but also for maintaining his incredible humor even in the most dark. I will miss him so much.”

Technoblade’s father thanked fans in the farewell video, saying, “You were very important to him.” He said a portion of the profits from his late son’s merchandise sales would go to charity. The video ends with a written statement from his family: “We, Technoblade’s family, want you all to know how much he adored and respected his fans and peers.”

“From Technoblade’s early online days, he was always coming up with strategies to please and reward his audience — giving out online prizes, encouraging good sportsmanship, and most of all, sharing his Minecraft adventures for entertainment and laughter.”

“Even after his success, he somehow managed to maintain his good-natured humility, always competing with a mix of confidence and self-deprecating humor.” Minecraft is a game where players create their own experience in a virtual landscape, digging holes to collect blocks.

Recent game updates have been used to help children explore and develop their career skills and knowledge and find solutions to real-world problems such as flooding.

YouTuber Ted Nevison described Technoblade as “effortlessly funny” and “endlessly talented”. YouTuber Bad Boy Halo also paid tribute: “Words cannot express how much you will be missed. The lives you touched and the impact you had on them will last forever.”

YouTuber Slimecicle said that Technoblade’s “personality and sense of humor have been a true inspiration to me and countless others. Thank you for everything you gave to a world that took you too soon, you will always be a myth.”

This text was originally published here.