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Lauri “Cyanide” Happonen throughout his days as a LoL professional participant. Picture from X/@Sheep_Esports |
Based on the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, the previous skilled LoL participant died on July 31, as confirmed by the Finnish Digital and Inhabitants Information Providers Company.
The reason for Happonen’s loss of life has not but been disclosed. His passing has come as a shock to the worldwide esports neighborhood, as he was some of the distinguished and beloved figures within the recreation throughout its early levels of growth.
Happonen gained widespread recognition when he received the LoL World Championship in 2011 with Fnatic on the age of 16. He went on to succeed in the semi-finals of the 2013 World Championship and secured three consecutive titles within the European league between 2013 and 2014.
Competing as a jungler for the esports crew Fnatic throughout his peak, Happonen performed a pivotal position of their victory on the World Championship in 2011. As this was the inaugural world championship within the recreation’s historical past, it firmly established Cyanide as one in every of its pioneers.
Reflecting on that monumental victory in a 2018 interview with Ilta-Sanomat, Happonen shared that he vividly remembered the sensation of successful. The participant admitted he beforehand seen himself as a quiet laptop fanatic with low shallowness. Nonetheless, the eye he acquired from followers following his championship win boosted his confidence, making 2011 really feel like a yr that he was dwelling in a dream.
On the finish of 2014, Happonen parted methods with Fnatic, citing a fading ardour. He defined that he was now not glad, having positioned far an excessive amount of stress on himself and failing to persistently carry out as much as his personal expectations.
Happonen revealed that he had fallen into melancholy and needed to step away for the sake of his psychological well being.
After leaving, he transitioned to streaming for a couple of yr and a half earlier than stopping. In 2018, Happonen started finding out enterprise in Helsinki whereas additionally internet hosting a video game-focused program for Yle Kioski Gaming.
In his later years, Happonen participated in a number of small-scale esports initiatives and labored in high quality administration in Finland.
Based on his LinkedIn profile, he started his research on the College of Valencia within the autumn of 2025.