Competitive Tetris player Jonas Neubauer has died suddenly at the age of 39

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"Jonas Neubauer was one of the greatest classic Tetris players of all time in skill, spirit, and kindness"

Tetris
(Image credit: The Tetris Company/N3twork)

Competitive Tetris player Jonas Neubauer has died suddenly at the age of 39.

Neubauer was a seven-time World Champion of Tetris and ran a Twitch channel with his partner, Heather Ito. He died on January 4, 2021, following an unspecified "sudden medical emergency".

"It’s with a heavy heart that we deliver the terrible news that Jonas has passed away from a sudden medical emergency," said a brief message on his Twitter account (thanks, Eurogamer). "He was the absolute best. We are devastated, overwhelmed with grief, and we already miss him dearly. Information to follow when it becomes available."

His unexpected death has prompted those who knew him to open up candidly about their memories of him. 

“This is a tremendous loss in so many ways. Jonas Neubauer was one of the greatest classic Tetris players of all time in skill, spirit, and kindness,” said a message from the official  Tetris Twitter account. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends, and to the entire classic Tetris community, as we all mourn his passing.”

“We are heartbroken to share that Jonas Neubauer, 7-time CTWC champion, passed away suddenly on Jan 4,” added the Tetris Championship Twitter account. “We could have never asked for a greater champ, role model, and friend. Jonas, we miss you, we love you, and we thank you for inspiring us to always be our best. Rest in peace.”

"Jonas was a master of Tetris, a denim enthusiast, an ambassador to Albacete, Spain, and an expert food try-er in the house of Ravenclaw," explains a write up on a GoFundMe memorial fund set up for Neubauer's family. "His enthusiasm for everything was contagious and inspiring, and he always found ways to make any situation incredibly fun."

Vikki Blake
Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.