Jonas Neubauer, 7-time Tetris World Champion, dies at age 39

Jonas Neubauer, widely considered the face of Tetris esports and it's greatest ever player, has died at the age of 39.

The news comes from Neubauer's Twitter account:

"It’s with a heavy heart that we deliver the terrible news that Jonas has passed away from a sudden medical emergency. 
He was the absolute best. We are devastated, overwhelmed with grief, and we already miss him dearly."

Neubauer had an illustrious career in competitive Tetris winning the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) a record seven times the last of which was in 2017.

(Picture: CTWC)

In a statement to SlackNews, the head of the CTWC, Vince Clemente, spoke of the legendary status Neubauer held in the game:

"It is with broken hearts we share that Jonas Neubauer, 7-time CTWC champion, passed away suddenly on January 4.

Jonas has been an absolute pillar of positivity and humility to our CTWC family. We could have never asked for a greater champ, role model and friend. He was kind, genuine, hilarious, incredibly talented, and a brilliant ambassador for the game. While he was the biggest final boss he always had the warmest heart. He will live on as a legend to our community and many others around the world.

Jonas, we miss you, we love you, and we thank you for inspiring us to always be our best.

Rest in peace our mighty hero."

We are heartbroken to share that Jonas Neubauer, 7-time CTWC champion, passed away suddenly on Jan 4.

We could have never asked for a greater champ, role model, and friend. Jonas, we miss you, we love you, and we thank you for inspiring us to always be our best. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/CaaGgd4ZY3

— Tetris Championship (@ClassicTetris) January 9, 2021

Jason Neubauer: Remembering a legend

Neubauer was born on November 21, 1981, in the United States, where he lived his entire life. He lived in Los Angeles working as a bartender, something that contrasted quite a lot with what he was passionate about more than anything: Tetris.

Neubauer is considered by many as the best player in the world in Classic Tetris, thanks to his seven world championships and two runner-ups obtained from 2010 to 2018, at the Classic Tetris World Championship held in Portland, Oregon each year.

(Picture: CTWC)

In addition to his career as a Tetris professional, Jonas was known for his successful streamer career on Twitch, where he began streaming in 2017 from his account, NubbinsGoody, achieving thousands of viewers on each broadcast.

With the announcement of his death, messages of condolence have come in across the gaming community. 

It’s with a heavy heart that we deliver the terrible news that Jonas has passed away from a sudden medical emergency.
He was the absolute best. We are devastated, overwhelmed with grief, and we already miss him dearly.
Information to follow when it becomes available.

— Jonas Neubauer (@neubsauce) January 9, 2021

Jonas Neubauer was the seven-time world champion of the Classic Tetris World Championship. He was a loyal son, great husband, staunch friend, and an ambassador for the only sport I care about. I can't believe he's gone. https://t.co/Auxih39e7z

— Chris Higgins (@chrishiggins) January 9, 2021

From the GINX Esports team, we want to send our condolences to Jonas' family and friends. Rest in peace, Jonas Neubauer.