The Tragic Death Of YouTuber Technoblade

YouTubers are a special kind of influencer, with longtime viewers often feeling like personal friends of the creators. When these online talents upload hours upon hours of content to enjoy, it's hard not to feel as though you know them in real life. Unfortunately, while these stars are often placed on a pedestal, they're not immune to the tragedies that befall real-world friends.

Technoblade was the gaming identity of a YouTuber with over 11 million subscribers. With an emphasis on Minecraft and a commitment to creating engaging content, Technoblade was a staple and favorite among the gaming community. His August 2021 upload, "where I've been," was a departure from his typical content. He shared with fans that in late July, he began feeling intense pain in one of his arms. While he initially thought it was a stress injury from his competitive video gaming, he soon got devastating news from a doctor: it was cancer. 

Technoblade continued to upload in the following months, occasionally providing updates on his treatment or doing charity streams to raise money for cancer research. Today, however, fans encountered a devastating upload in their subscription feeds.

"Hi everyone, Technoblade here," the narration begins on the heartbreaking "so long nerds" video, uploaded to the Technoblade channel on July 1. "If you're watching this, I'm dead." The posthumous message, which is read over Minecraft gameplay, is delivered by his father. Although Technoblade was famously private about his real identity and details of his life off of YouTube, he revealed in the video that his name was Alex. 

The video is filled with his signature humor. He thanked all his fans who supported his work and purchased his merch, which will allow his siblings to go to college. "Well, if they want to," Technoblade adds. "I don't want to put any dead brother peer pressure on them." He concludes by writing, "If I had another hundred lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every single time." Following the reading of Technoblade's goodbye, his father shared that the gamer died just eight hours after penning the message. 

Fans, fellow YouTubers, and strangers who encountered the video on YouTube's trending page have shared condolences. Gamer TommyInnit took to Twitter to say, "Technoblade is a f***ing 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." YouTuber and author John Green wrote, "So, so sad to hear about the death of technoblade, a talented and hilarious 23-year-old youtuber I often watched with my son."