Twisten’s mother posts heartfelt message: “He fought bravely”

The mother of deceased Valorant pro Karel ‘Twisten’ Ašenbrener has penned a gracious post talking about the struggles that her son endured, and the reaction to his passing.

Twisten died on the evening of June 6 at age 19 after a long battle with depression. He was playing for Vitality, one of the ten organizations fielding teams in the VCT EMEA League, the highest tier of Valorant competition in Europe.

The Valorant community was rocked by Twisten’s death, with teammates, fellow players and other community figures paying tribute on social media.

Ivana Ašenbrenerová, Twisten’s mother, has now posted a heartfelt message on Facebook in his honor calling for respect and stating that her son’s death should not be used to attack esports or gaming.

“I thought I would manage to avoid reading Czech comments where those smart people write: ‘Well, the young ones don’t know what to do, no wonder when they sit at the computer all day. Who knows what kind of family he had? If he wanted, he could have sought treatment,” she wrote, in a message translated by Czech commentator Petr ‘Xnapy’ Jirák.

“Where does all this certainty about ‘your truth’ come from?

“Our son had plenty of love around him. Maybe I’m not a perfect mother, but I have always supported and loved all three of my sons unconditionally. At the same time, I never held them back or tied a ball to their feet. Even my dad always told me that a person should have dreams and fly toward the clouds. Kája was flying. And he flew very high.”

Twisten’s mother went on to praise her son for being outspoken about his struggle with depression. While at VCT LOCK//IN in February, he revealed that he had spent a stint at a hospital after his mental health had worsened during the holiday season.

“The fact that he publicly admitted that he was struggling with depression was one of the bravest things, and I am proud of him,” she wrote. “Yes, he fought with depression, and he’s not the only one. Blaming gaming is absurd. Kája didn’t just sit at the computer. Professional esports players have a strict regimen, similar to other athletes.

“They have to eat healthily, exercise, and sleep well. They also have demanding training sessions. And just like elsewhere, here too, the pressure to perform creates a permanent pressure on the psyche. It takes very little, like a predisposition to anxiety in the genes, and then it’s just a step toward depression. And sometimes an unhappy love is enough to cause a short circuit. No one has the right to judge anyone. Our son fought his illness, and he fought bravely.”

She added that athletes in a number of traditional sports have also taken their lives after battling with depression and urged society to take a more open attitude toward mental health struggles.

“Depression is not an illness that someone ‘catches’ by playing computer games. Depression cannot be controlled by willpower; it must be treated,” she said.

“We must not hide the fact that in addition to our physical bodies, we also have souls. Let’s not be silent about it. We must not. No one should bear the stigma of mental illness. They are people just like others.”

VCT commentator Ryan ‘RyanCentral’ Horton, content creator Connor ‘Sliggy’ Blomfield and Valorant pros Elias ‘Jamppi’ Olkkonen, Alex ‘aproto’ Protopapas, and Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf are among those who have pledged to honor Twisten by donating to mental health charities for every Shorty kill at VCT Masters Tokyo.

Earlier this year, Twisten donated €1450 (approximately $1553 USD) to Hunderettung Europa, a non-profit animal welfare association, for the 58 Shorty kills that were made at VCT LOCK//IN. Riot Games has yet to announce whether there will be a tribute to the player during VCT Masters Tokyo.

If you have been affected by issues raised in this article, information and support is available from the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).