The League of Legends esports community has experienced tragedy as one of its shining stars has passed away suddenly. This kind of unexpected death—of a highly regarded player and an equally good coach from Latin America—has caused the community to stop talking for a while. The @lolesports account shared this news and it was not taken very positively by the internet. The competition and the king of the LATAM mid lane ‘were deeply saddened over the news of his passing’. He was a coaching wizard for Isurus and let’s not kid ourselves, he was a real legend in the LATAM mid lane. The dude just set the standard, and these sorts of figures always generate very emotional responses, full of respects, and sometimes, even messy internet stuff.
The community reaction was predominantly one of love and disbelief. One user wrote, ‘Rest in peace legend.’ Another described it as ‘terribly sad news.’ A local even remarked ‘Me acabo de enterar de esta noticia, EMP era de la ciudad de copiapo, una pena enorme que uno de los máximos jugadores de esports que ha dado esta tierra haya fallecido.’ For those who do not speak Spanish, it means he was from Copiapó and that it was a very big loss for one of the biggest esports talents that the area has ever produced. This is exactly the personal connection that hits differently.
Gamers had begun to refer to him as ‘the Emperor of LATAM midlane’, because he had been dominating with Isurus and had even fought on the international level at MSI 2017. He was not just a player but a mentor who had coached the future and inspired many generations. His mark, as one gamer said, ‘will be felt for years’. Such a loss for the scene, some might say, a pillar has just…disappeared.
And then, what did I say? Yes, it was the communityfeel. Overall, it was a matter of paying tribute to his legacy. In the end, the original tweet said, ‘Thank you, Benjamín, for all of your contributions to LoL Esports.’ And this feeling was echoed everywhere. ‘A great loss for the LATAM LoL scene.’ ‘Great loss to Esports and to family and friends.’ You see the pattern. It’s a community of family, and it has lost a beloved member.
Of course, the internet being the internet there will always be that one guy who stands out. A person, who goes by the username @zeropower123, in the replies, saw fit to say, “No es una leyenda, solo era un jugador mas” (“He is not a legend, he was just another player”). What a shock that this turned out to be a very wrong opinion! The backlash was immediate and furious. Others were commenting on the post, marking it as disrespectful and totally clueless. One even responded, saying, “Somebody has died and you are talking about tier 1 players? Jesus f Christ.” It was a harsh reminder that even in the darkest moments there are still a few people who lack the sensitivity to grasp the atmosphere surrounding them. The rude comment led to a small thread of replies, which is… one of those things that happens quite often.
With the tributes, there were also the practical, stunned questions. “Who will be the coach then?” one asked. It came across as such a trivial thought in the context of the tragic news, but at the same time, it was very much connected to the futuristic aspect of the esports machine. The focus rightly, so remained on the guy. Benjamín. Emp. The coach, the player, the legend.
So what’s the point here? It’s a sad day for gaming, that’s it. The LATAM League of Legends scene has lost a giant. A player who had once laid the foundations of the scene and later turned around to mentor the next generation. That’s a legacy for sure. The support that is coming in is a good sign of how much he meant to someone—from the people in his hometown of Copiapó to the international tournaments of esports he actually helped shape.
At times like this, it becomes absolutely obvious that all the rivalries between teams, debates on patch notes, and all the rest are trivial distractions; the essence comes through that there are real people behind the gamertags and champion picks. People with families and friends and an entire life of their own. Right now, the whole world of LoL esports is sending its love to the family and friends of Benjamín. The hashtags #QEPEmp and #RIPEmp are starting to trend, which is a digital memorial for the emperor of the mid lane. As one lovely tribute stated, his throne was built on humility and genius, and it’s a throne that the entire LATAM scene stands on today. Soar high, leyenda. You will be missed. The news was shared on platforms like PlayStation and Xbox communities, and his influence even touched other scenes like Street Fighter esports.
