The YouTube community is mourning the loss of one of its own.
Minecraft YouTuber, known to fans online as Technoblade, has passed away after battling cancer, his family confirmed June 30. He was 23.
In a YouTube video titled “so long nerds,” Technoblade’s dad read a letter that the content creator wrote to fans prior to his death. “Hello everyone, Technoblade here. If you’re watching this, I am dead,” the message began. “So let’s sit down and have one final chat.” Then, after going by Technoblade for years, he went on to reveal his real name: Alex.
“Thank you all for supporting my content over the years,” he continued. “If I had another hundred lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every single time as those were the happiest years of my life.”
“I hope you guys enjoyed my content and that I made some of you laugh,” he added. “And I hope you all go on to live long, prosperous and happy lives, because I love you guys. Technoblade out.”
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Holding back tears in the video, Technoblade’s dad told fans the YouTuber finished writing the letter about eight hours before he passed away.
“He was the most amazing kid anyone could ever ask for,” his dad shared. “I miss Technoblade. Thank you to all of you, for everything. You meant a lot to him.”
The video concluded with a message from Technoblade’s mom. “From Technoblade’s earliest online days, he was always strategizing ways to delight and reward his audience,” she wrote. “Even after his eventual successes he somehow managed to keep his good-natured humility, competing with an endearing balance between his confidence and self-deprecating wit. He avoided personal fame and worked hard to keep his true identity confidential, and we ask you to honor his wishes to protect his privacy and the privacy of his family.”
“This past year has had a lot of rough spots for our son as he battled stage four cancer,” she continued. “But he didn’t complain, and kept using his famous strategic mind to try to beat what he knew were almost impossible odds. My son’s bravery on this path was a shining lesson to all of us who were privileged to walk it with him. Thank you for sharing his journey through it all, as he did the work he loved for his beloved fans.”
As news of Technoblade’s death emerged, many fans and fellow YouTubers took to social media to honor him. “I’ll never forget the day I met Technoblade,” Johnathan Schlatt, known as Jschlatt, tweeted. “I left work early to play in a Minecraft tournament with him. I barely knew how to play… and the dude still carried us to win the entire f–king event. Rest in peace, big guy. You’ll always be a legend.”
YouTuber Thomas Simons, a.k.a. TommyInnit, echoed Jonathan’s sentiment, tweeting in part, “Technoblade is a f–king legend. From being a massive fan, to one of his actual friends, I can’t describe how thankful I am to have been in his life.”
