Vitality withdraw from VCT EMEA LCQ to honor Twisten’s memory

Team Vitality have announced that they will not take part in the EMEA last-chance qualifier for Valorant Champions following the tragic death of Karel ‘Twisten’ Ašenbrener.

In a statement posted on Twitter, French organization Vitality said that it decided against participating in the qualifier as Twisten’s death “has caused immense and unprecedented grief among his teammates and staff, our teams and our clubs.”

“We can’t imagine anyone else playing in these last competitions of the season,” Vitality said. “That is why, out of respect for him, his family and our players, we wish to bring our VCT 23 season to an end.”

Vitality was granted permission to skip the qualifier “on the grounds of extenuating circumstances,” according to a statement from Riot Games, which sent its condolences to the team once again.

Some important information about our participation in the VCT last chance qualifier and the VCT Champions ⬇ pic.twitter.com/q4pWPNJvpC

— Team Vitality 🐝 (@TeamVitality) June 21, 2023

Twisten passed away on the evening of June 6 at the age of 19. The news rocked the Valorant community and led to a series of tributes from across the esports world.

VCT Masters Tokyo desks hosts Yinsu ‘Yinsu’ Collins and Alex ‘Goldenboy’ Mendez paid tribute to the player on the first day of the event’s broadcast, and a minute of silence was observed before the start of the BLAST Premier Spring Final, in which Vitality’s CS:GO team took on Heroic.

Several community figures have vowed to honor Twisten’s memory by pledging to donate to mental health charities for every Shorty kill at VCT Masters Tokyo and at Valorant Champions, keeping a tradition that Twisten himself started earlier this year at VCT LOCK//IN.

The VCT EMEA Last-Chance Qualifier will be held between July 19-23, with six teams competing for a spot at Valorant Champions 2023. If Fnatic wins VCT Masters Tokyo, however, the top two teams will qualify for the season-ending tournament.

If you have been affected by issues raised in this article, information and support are available from the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).