Maciej 'Shushei' Ratuszniak, one of the winners of the first-ever League of Legends World Championship, has died. Known for popularizing AP Alistar and Gragas, the Polish midlaner was crowned MVP at the MOBA's first high-stakes pro tournament, and was easily one of the best players in LoL's history.
As shared in a Facebook post from his sister on Monday April 28, screenshotted by Polish outlet boop.pl and translated using Google, the former Fnatic star ed away "after a short and fierce battle with cancer.
"Yesterday my brother's heart stopped, breaking so many hearts," she writes. "Maciej Ratuszniak, beloved husband, son, brother, and friend. Lover of his dogs, Saito and Yuno."
Fnatic responded to the news on X, writing "Yesterday we lost a legend in Shushei. Shushei was part of the incredible Fnatic team that won the first ever League of Legends World Championships back in 2011 that begun the Fnatic LoL fandom for so many of our fans." This is echoed by League of Legends icon Eefje 'Sjokz' Depoortere, who reposted the official Polish LoL 's memorial with "Rest in peace Shushei.. one of the first greats of our game. Way too young to go.. no words."
Riot Games co-founder Marc 'Tryndamere' Merrill has also paid tribute, writing on Reddit: "RIP Shushei – I'll always your cheerful attitude [and] wonderful smile. Gragas barrel FTW." In response, one fan asks "Can we get some small commemoration for this legend?" – something that, given Shushei's contribution to League of Legends esports, feels apt.
Shushei's family has publicly confirmed that his funeral will take place in the Roman Catholic Church of the Resurrection in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Monday May 5.