Former Schalke 04 Top Laner Yoppa Passes Away due to COVID Complications
Last Tuesday, Nov. 23, Pavle ‘Yoppa’ Kostić, the former top laner for Schalke 04, tragically died due to complications from COVID-19.
The 23-year-old Serbian League of Legends pro had been competing since 2016 and had a significant impact on various academy teams, including MAD Lions, Giants Gaming, and Vitality. Yoppa was the first Serbian player to reach the top spot on the EUW servers Challenger ranking and was among the first Serbian players to play for major international teams, as reported by sportklub. Just last week, Yoppa declared himself a free agent after joining Schalke 04 Evolution in December 2020, according to his Twitter.
Yoppa gained fame by competing with top teams in the highly competitive League region of Spain, which caught the attention of overseas teams like TSM. Unfortunately, a potential transfer did not materialize due to visa-related issues.
The passing of Yoppa has brought the European League community together to honor his memory and the impact he had on his former teams and teammates. Players and members of different organizations who knew Yoppa have been sharing their condolences and memories of him.
Today we were informed that our former League of Legends player Yoppa has passed away.
We have wonderful memories of you and our time spent with you in Berlin. You will remain forever engraved in our memories.
Our thoughts are with your family and friends.
Rest in peace, Pavle pic.twitter.com/8bWCigausa— Team Vitality (@TeamVitality) November 24, 2021
Team Vitality owner Fabien “Neo” Devide also expressed his grief on Twitter, saying, “My heart is broken. My deepest condolences to his loved ones in this painful ordeal. We will miss you.”
I honestly dont know what to say. We spent so much time having fun together back in the LVP days i wish i could go back in time.
Rest in peace Pavle. https://t.co/nRjAn8Pz53
— selfmade (@selfmade_LoL) November 24, 2021
No further details about Yoppa’s passing have been disclosed as his family, friends, and peers continue to remember and honor his life.
Yoppa, Schalke 04, League of Legends, esports, death, COVID complications