Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson, a former StarCraft II pro player and current commentator and esports personality, passed away on Saturday. The news was posted by family members on his Twitter account. iNcontroL was 33 years old and, according to the official announcement, died due to a sudden illness.
A pillar of esports
iNcontroL was best known for his presence in the StarCraft scene. He began his career as a pro gamer in the StarCraft: Brood War era where he secured top-three finishes in events like WCG USA 2007, WCG Pan-American Championship 2008, and WCG Pan-American Championship 2009. He later transitioned to StarCraft II, playing for Evil Geniuses during the Wings of Liberty beta and beyond. His biggest SC2 achievement was a fourth-place finish at the 2011 MLG Pro Circuit Dallas.
Over the years, iNcontroL gradually switched to full-time hosting and commentating. He enjoyed great success in his new role, attending a number of premier events like 2019 WCS Winter Europe, IEM Season XIII Katowice, 2018 WCS Global Finals, IEM Season XII World Championship. His quick wit and in-depth game knowledge quickly made him a community favorite.
He also operated a successful Twitch channel—iNcontroLTV—on which he played a variety of games and climbed the StarCraft II ladder. He also hosted StarCraft-related podcasts The Pylon Show and State of the Game and made regular appearances on gaming talk shows like RollPlay and Co-Optional Podcast.
At the time of this writing, multiple esports personalities have expressed their condolences on Twitter. Meanwhile, StarCraft fans have created a Reddit thread for the most memorable iNcontroL moments. It’s clear he will be sorely missed among many gaming communities.
Image courtesy of ESL
