7-time 'Tetris' world champ Jonas Neubauer passes away
Neubauer passed away due to a "sudden medical emergency."
Jonas Neubauer, which Vice once called the “greatest Tetris player in the world,” has passed away. His camp has announced his passing from a “sudden medical emergency” on January 4th through his Twitter account, promising more details when they become available. Neubauer helped popularize Tetris as an esport and won the Classic Tetris World Championship seven times, including its inaugural year back in 2010. He also placed second twice in the 10 years since the tournament was launched.
It’s with a heavy heart that we deliver the terrible news that Jonas has passed away from a sudden medical emergency.
He was the absolute best. We are devastated, overwhelmed with grief, and we already miss him dearly.
Information to follow when it becomes available.— Jonas Neubauer (@neubsauce) January 9, 2021
We are heartbroken to share that Jonas Neubauer, 7-time CTWC champion, passed away suddenly on Jan 4.
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. pic.twitter.com/CaaGgd4ZY3— Tetris Championship (@ClassicTetris) January 9, 2021
The official Tetris account called him “ one of the greatest classic Tetris players of all time in skill, spirit and kindness.”
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.
Our hearts go out to his family and friends, and to the entire classic Tetris community, as we all mourn his passing. https://t.co/iOJWFdBuv0— Tetris (@Tetris_Official) January 9, 2021
In his interview with Vice, Neubauer compared his playing style to a jazz pianist in that it could be pretty chaotic and that he always improvised instead of sticking to a plan. Aside from participating in the Classic Tetris World Championship, Neubauer has also been streaming on Twitch under the handle NubbinsGoody in the past few years. While he obviously streamed a lot of Tetris games, he also did videos featuring other games like Last of Us 2 and even Dungeons and Dragons.
The Classic Tetris World Championship’s website has posted a statement remembering Neubauer as a person and as a legend in the community. It includes a clip of his last match at the 2020 tournament, wherein he played against Jacob "Huffulufugus" Huff.