VALORANT pro player Luie passes away after Turkey earthquake

Last Monday, earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 shook southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria, leaving the population of these regions in a harrowing situation. According to the official count, more than 17,000 people have been found dead in Turkey and more than 3,000 in Syria.

One of the lives lost was that of Gizem “Luie” Harmankaya, a professional VALORANT player and former Unknowpros player. Her team has confirmed that the brave player lost her life due to the earthquake.

According to details shared by her friends, the player was trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building. Despite the efforts to save her, Luie stopped responding to the calls of people assisting in the search and rescue efforts.

Rescue teams continue to search for thousands of people believed to be trapped in the rubble, but optimism is waning in the cold temperatures and as the 72-hour deadline for saving lives passes.

The community mourns Luie’s death

Turkey has one of the largest and strongest esports communities, but this catastrophic situation has put all esports-related activity in the region on hold.

Luie excelled in the VALORANT pro scene, which allowed him to be part of teams such as Galakticos Sirens, Vivace Vista, and Unknownpro. The esports community used social media to say goodbye to the player and wish her peace.

Luie’s esports team, Unknowpros, officially announced his disappearance and the news of his death after that.

Through their social networks, they released this sad news:

“Unfortunately, we lost our former player Gizem Harmankaya. Our condolences to his family and all the fans. May she rest in peace.”

The Riot and the esports community at large mourn the tragic news. The shooter’s official account posted:

“Unfortunately, Valorant Game Changers player Gizem ‘Luie’ Harmankaya has died after the Earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday.”

 

“We express our deepest condolences to every victim of the earthquake and their loved ones.”

On the other hand, there is also resentment on social media because those who were on the ground and knew Luie claimed that she was not assisted while she was confined.

Turkish Valorant esports manager, Alassu Kara, commented:

“We have lost Gizem. Thank you to everyone who supported us. I am sorry for our loss. For 3 days, no one should forget the pleas of his family and the people here.”

Another person commented:

“When that name is mentioned, only a picture will remain in the minds of a generation that no longer has enough words, and a phrase GİZEM HARMANKAYA… Let no news write that, because of the earthquake, Gizem died because of his indifference. Our condolences #gizemharmankaya.”

Esports in Turkey

After the earthquake, the competitive ecosystem pauses. However, teams, players, and organizations related to esports are helping Turkey enormously with different methods of moving away from competition and showing their more human and solidary values.

From Fragster, we greatly regret this news, and we hope the number of injured and deceased will stop growing.

Header: Riot Games | Twitter