Christopher Hill was a 26-year-old man living in Martinsville, Virginia, when he was shot and killed outside of a private home in nearby Boones Mill on Wednesday night, August 24. The former professionalGears of WarandFortniteprofessional esports playerwent by the in-game name Xcells.According to local authorities, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office received a call of shots fired at approximately 9:28 p.m. The incident occurred when Hill, who was apparently unknown to the homeowner, approached a house in Boones Hill, on Virgil Goode Highway in Virginia. Deputies say an “encounter” then took place, during which the as-yet unidentified homeowner shot and killed Hill, who was found on the front lawn of the house. Local news affiliate WDBJ7 has stated that, as of August 25, there were no charges pending.RELATED:‘Grinning Girl’ From Popular Meme Has Died at Age 16Hill was formerly a member of the Enigma6 Group esports team but had not played professionally since 2019. He began competing inGears of Warin 2014 as a member of LoX and moved to various teams throughout his career, including NRG, Echo Fox, and eUnited. He also competed professionally inFortnitefrom 2018 to 2019. His final pro game was at the Fall League Qualifier 5 with Lux Gaming in 2019. Since then, Hill maintained a regular Twitch schedule and streamed a variety of games, including thepopular Warner Bros brawlerMultiversus.
Understandably, many people in the professional esports community and the gaming community in general are mourning the death of Hill. A former esports caster for Epic Games, xSUNDOWN, said goodbye to his friend on Twitter. “My soul hurts,” said the game developer in the post. “I know you were battling so many demons from your past & trying to be a better person.” Others in the community have responded similarly to the passing of theGears of Warplayer.
Just a few weeks later, the admiredSuper Smash Broscomposer Kenichi Okuma passed awayat age 56. The musician had worked in the games industry since the early 90s and was credited in a number of games, including 2008’sSuper Smash Bros Brawlfor the Wii, for which he composed “Flat Zone 2,” “Pokemon Gym/Evolution,” and “Gyromite.”
