EGO’s Issues Before Departure
As we know, player Nguyễn “EGO” Khánh Hòa recently passed away at a very young age – an age where many League of Legends players worldwide, such as the stars of T1 or Peyz, are just beginning to achieve their first successes. It would be extremely pointless to continue analyzing or digging deeper into the reasons behind EGO’s tragic incident. However, EGO’s story could serve as a wake-up call for League of Legends teams in the VCS specifically and the Vietnamese esports scene in general in the future.
It is evident that before ending his short life and losing his brilliant career, EGO got involved in many troubles. Of course, at this moment, perhaps no one would blame or criticize the former VCS champion anymore. But those elements of EGO stemmed, first and foremost, from being a young man who only knew how to play games and completely lacked any life skills. Yet this young man had everything that young people of his caliber dream of: fame, wealth, and expectations. And as everyone knows, not just EGO, many famous figures across various fields have lost themselves when falling into circumstances similar to that of the Jungle player who was a three-time VCS champion.
But as singer Sơn Tùng M-TP once said: “To sit in a position that no one can sit, one must endure feelings that no one can bear.” The only problem is that a young man who is still too young, lacking the courage and experience in life finds it difficult to face societal pressures. It all began with drama involving Zeros, followed by news of his past foolish thoughts while wearing the CERBERUS Esports jersey, and his mental health issues being exposed… All of this came at once, and perhaps the heaviest blow was the rejection from teams that approached EGO in a short time.
The cause of EGO’s passing has been reported as a heart attack, with the contributing factor being a ruptured or broken atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary artery, where blood cells including platelets and red blood cells adhere, forming a thrombus that suddenly blocks the artery, cutting off the blood supply to the heart, leading to ischemia. If this condition persists, it can lead to myocardial necrosis, heart failure or sudden death. Deeper down, one of the causes of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries is “excessive emotional stress” and “excessive strain” over a long period. And emotional disorders are one of the mental health issues of EGO that have been revealed for a long time.
EGO’s Struggle and a Warning for Professional Esports
After losing all support, EGO struggled to fend for himself. Of course, as shared by CES’s manager, this team and many friends and colleagues around EGO fully supported him. However, he had lost everything. And no matter what, EGO was just a stranger for anyone responsible for helping or supporting him time and time again.
But the reality is, if prior to this, teams had actual methods to help not only EGO but also other young players, would things have been different? In League of Legends specifically and professional esports in general around the world, teams not only invest in coaching staff but also have doctors, psychologists, fitness coaches… All to create the best environment for players to develop physically and mentally… Especially when they have to leave home at such a young age, at an age when they are developing their personality and psychological state.
In Vietnam, so far, it seems that only GAM Esports somewhat pays attention to issues beyond professional skills for players. While some other teams only consist of players, coaching staff, and team owners.
EGO’s story may force VCS teams to pay more attention to young players, not only in professional skills but also in developing life skills and building resilience when facing challenges and pressures from the community and society. Although the cause of EGO’s sad ending may not stem from the community, perhaps EGO could have contributed more and had a better life if he had been trained in essential life skills and maintained a good mental and physical health during his days as a professional player. And that, is the responsibility of the entire esports system and League of Legends in Vietnam, not just any single team.