Beloved Call of Duty pro gamer Phillip “Phizzurp” Klemenov has tragically died, his team H2K has confirmed.
According to a number of online reports from the US, the 23-year-old was caught in a car accident in Aurora, Colorado.
His girlfriend, Adrianna shared the tragic news over Twitter. Adrianna was also in the car at the time – so please be aware that the video below is genuinely upsetting stuff.
https://twitter.com/adriannalemuss/status/782612317896712196
Following the news, a number of gamers -predominately from the Call of Duty community of course – have taken to Twitter to share their support and and pay respects to Klemenov.
Just waking up to hear about @PHiZZURP. My heart hurts. We lost another gamer too soon and too young. My thoughts are with his family.
— Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) October 2, 2016
I'm in disbelief. Rest easy @PHiZZURP. Incredibly sad to hear that you've passed on. This is unreal.
— Nadeshot (@Nadeshot) October 2, 2016
Phil was someone who met everyone with a smile at events. My thoughts are with his family. What a tragedy. Love you, Phil. #RIPPhizzurp
— Jack Dunlop (@CouRageJD) October 2, 2016
The exact circumstances around the accident are yet to be confirmed by police, though reports suggest that Klemenov died in hospital, while another passenger -believed to be a friend of Klemenov – died at the scene.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page created by a friend to raise money for Klemenov’s funeral costs has already amassed nearly $17,000 (around £13,000).
Tyler Johnson, who created the page, wrote:
Phill was a passionate player, streamer, and even a better friend. He was one of the most genuinely nice people I have ever encountered. He was always willing to help any of his friends without thinking twice.
GoFundMeKlemenov was well respected and liked by the community for his strategy and veteran status – his victory in 2011 with Team FeaR being one notable example.
Our thoughts are with Klemenov’s friends and family at this difficult time.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.