The family of pioneering League of Legends midlaner Maciej “Shushei” Ratuszniak have confirmed that he has lost his battle with cancer and passed away at the age of 36 on April 28, 2025.
The Polish pro retired back in 2013 but had already recorded a legendary career.
Shushei was a major part of the Fnatic roster that won the first-ever LoL World Championship back in 2011, playing alongside Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínez, Lauri “Cyanide” Happonen, Manuel “LaMiaZeaLoT” Mildenberger, Peter “Mellisan” Meisrimel and emergency sub Bram “wewillfailer” de Winter who helped out in the early stages of the tournament when xPeke missed his flight.
Not only did Shushei help Fnatic win the inaugural version of one of esports’ most prestigious tournaments, his amazing performances on Gragas also made him the first-ever LoL Worlds MVP. And that wasn’t his only achievement either, Shushei also won IEM Season 6 in New York with Fnatic as well as IEM Hanover 2011 with myRevenge.
As part of his Worlds success, Shushei was able to choose a champion that would then receive a personalised skin for him. He unsurprisingly chose his signature Gragas and that Fnatic Gragas skin is still purchasable in the game today, immortalising Shushei’s legacy.
His former team, Fnatic, paid tribute to their hall of famer on social media, stating: “Yesterday we lost a legend in Shushei. Shushei was part of the incredible Fnatic team that won the first ever League of Legends World Championships back in 2011 that begun the Fnatic LoL fandom for so many of our fans. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.”
Many other prominent names took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay their respects including LEC host Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere who said: “Rest in peace Shushei… one of the first greats of our game. Way too young to go… no words,” and former Fnatic and current RuddySack coach Jakob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi who said: “RIP legend. I will never forget the memories we share.”
As well as his amazing accomplishments and unorthodox strategies (including the original AP Alistar build), Shushei will also be remembered fondly for his big personality and the moments he created, including this infamous Gragas body slam while playing for the team DragonBorns.
Shushei was a crucial figure of early esports in Poland and created many loyal fans back when LoL’s competitive scene first began. He was a pioneer for an esports scene that has grown to levels very few would have fathomed back in 2011 following the first World Championship.
Everyone at Esports News UK extends their condolences to Shushei’s family and friends.
Riot Games pays tribute to Shushei in League of Legends
Following on from the sad news, LoL developers Riot Games have added a tribute to Shushei in the game by giving players a chance to unlock an exclusive title and the Fnatic Gragas skin for free.
In a statement on the League of Legends social media pages, the company said: “Together we remember Season 1 World Champion, MVP, and beloved player Maciej “Shushei” Ratuszniak. To honour his legacy, players can unlock the “Shushei Forever” title for free, and additionally, play 3 games as Gragas to unlock his Fnatic Gragas skin. Thank you Maciej.”
To claim the free title, first click on the Shushei tab on the left side of the client. From there, at the bottom right of the client, click on the title tab then click directly on the scroll to add the Shushei Forever title to your collection.
In my seven years of esports writing, I’ve introuduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I’m most proud of the latter.
