T1 COO John Kim passes away age 40

South Korean esports giant T1 announced their COO John Kim passed away on July 16 aged just 40.

T1’s COO had been hospitalized in early July due to “health issues” but the devastating news came only a few weeks later on July 16.

In the announcement, T1 stated: “After being hospitalized July 7 due to health issues, John passed away July 16 2021,” though there was no specific cause mentioned.

“John has been instrumental in building T1, worked tirelessly for our players and staff and he will be missed dearly. While we mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague, we will also continue to celebrate his life and the time we had with him.”

T1 streamer and content creator Nick ‘LS’ De Cesare shared a Tweet about John saying: “John was somewhat of a father figure to me at T1.

“During Nov, he was constantly around me daily to help ease the turbulent month& always made himself available. He always stepped in for me w/o being asked, and I considered him a confidant. I was beyond fortunate to have known him”

The Overwatch Contenders team Skyfoxes shared an emotional tweet thread about how much John Kim meant to the people in the organization, saying: “John was integral part not only to Skyfoxes and its history, but to countless budding talent in the space. John’s character preceded him and those fortunate enough to meet him were privileged to have him in our lives.”

Other memorials for the former COO have also been shared on social media, with many expressing their deepest condolences.

John was just 40 years old at the time of his passing.