It’s been a rough few days for T1 and T1 fans alike. Six hours ago, the official T1 Twitter account made a public announcement, regarding the passing of T1 COO, John Kim. After being hospitalized on July 7 due to health issues, John sadly passed away on July 16, 2021.
“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. Please keep John’s family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this difficult time,” said T1.
Kim was appointed as COO back in November 2019, overseeing the organization’s day-to-day operations and helping it expand beyond its home country of South Korea and grow into the global esports icon that it is today
The tweet received astonishing feedback from T1 fans and League of Legends personalities alike. A lot of people gave their condolences, including League of Legends streamer LS, who described John Kim as a “somewhat of a father figure to me.”
“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“
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during these difficult times and we wish them the power to get through this and keep on living.