Leaving behind a career filled with firsts in the history of League of Legends, former pro player Maria “Remilia” Creveling was found dead at the age of 24 on Friday, December 27. Since then, many fans and former associates have shared their grief on Twitter in response to the announcement.
Creveling was known throughout the League of Legends community as a world class support, known for playing Morgana and especially Thresh. Her debut on the pro scene as part of Renegades made her the first woman to compete in the League of Legends Championship series.
The official announcement of Creveling’s death came on the 28th, and while no official cause of death has been given, those close to her have confirmed she died peacefully in her sleep. Fans, friends, and former acquaintances have reached out on Twitter with responses of shared grief and shock. This includes Riot employees, the LCS, other pro players, and her former team the Renegades. With League of Legends and its eSports scene sometimes ridiculed, it is heartening to see general solidarity between players, industry, and fans in the face of tragedy.
However, while professional responses have been largely positive, there have also been several replies to them that reflect the problems Creveling faced in life. Being the first transgender woman to rise so high in the professional League scene, Creveling faced a lot of negativity and cruelty during her career, which no doubt contributed to her leaving the Renegades, as she cited anxiety over the constant trolling and harassment as one of the major reasons for her departure. With her death, the problems and cruelty that followed her through life seem to have bubbled to the surface once again. The spotlight can be a nightmare for League of Legends players, and it seems Creveling was no exception, even in death.
It is hard to overstate the importance of pioneers like Creveling in the gaming scene, as people like her pave the way not just for acceptance of gaming as a medium and sport, but also for the people who play those games. The popularity of games keeps spreading, from people trying to make it their career, to people with a very well established career, even if that career is US Congresswoman. Creveling loved the game enough to try her hand at the world stage, and that is something that cannot be disparaged.
With that said, the current small scale of the tributes is probably the right scale. Those close to Creveling have all stated that she did not crave the spotlight, and in fact it did not make her feel very comfortable, which is hardly a surprise given her history. While memorials to gamers who have passed away can be both huge and heartfelt, it would probably be best for anyone wishing to honor Creveling to run their thoughts past her loved ones first. Our hearts go out to them, and to the memory of a woman who loved League of Legends.
