Dennis ‘INTERNETHULK’ Hawelka has passed away

Team Liquid has confirmed the passing of hugely popular Overwatch coach Dennis Hawelka.

‘INTERNETHULK’, as Hawelka was known, was a coach across a number of titles including Overwatch and League of Legends, the latter of which he was coaching for Team Liquid at the time of his death. He reportedly died from complications stemming from tonsillitis.

“Dennis became part of the Team Liquid family back in June when he started coaching our Overwatch team,” a Team Liquid statement said. “He impressed everyone so much during this time that, after we disbanded our Overwatch roster, we hired him as our LCS head coach. He moved to Santa Monica while we prepared for the next LDC season. In these past few months, Dennis was part of our day to day as much as we were part of his.

“We are in touch with his family, and are supporting them in every way we can while we all try to grasp this loss. We humbly ask everyone to respect his family’s privacy during this difficult time.

“We have loved and will cherish our time with you Dennis.”

Hawelka rose to prominence through his involvement in World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2. He founded IDDQD where he enjoyed early success in Overwatch. He and his players went on to form the core of Team Envy’s successful team, which has now become the Dallas Fuel to compete in Blizzard’s new Overwatch League.

Many of esports biggest names have been expressing their sadness and condolences on social media, with Dallas Fuel player Christian ‘Cocco’ Johnsson saying that: "Hulk’s dedication to be the best inspired me and is why I’m here today."

In Loving Memory, Dennis “INTERNETHULK” Hawelka pic.twitter.com/EIVfKUAQ5J

— Team Liquid (@TeamLiquid) November 9, 2017