Fnatic's inaugural Worlds champion Cyanide dies aged 31

Fnatic's inaugural Worlds champion Cyanide dies aged 31

The death of former Fnatic jungler Lauri “Cyanide” Happonen was reported on October 26, prompting tributes across the League of Legends community.

Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported that Happonen died on July 31, 2026, aged 31. According to the report, Finland’s Digital and Population Data Services Agency confirmed the information. No cause of death has been publicly disclosed.

A founding figure in Fnatic’s success

Cyanide won the inaugural League of Legends World Championship with Fnatic in 2011. He was 16 at the time, becoming the youngest player to win the competition.

His contribution extended into the early EU LCS era, when Fnatic won three European league titles across 2013 and 2014. Alongside teammates including xPeke, sOAZ and YellOwStaR, he helped establish one of European League of Legends’ most successful early teams.

Former teammates pay tribute

YellOwStaR remembered Cyanide’s kindness and the close friendship they developed while competing together. He also recalled their reunion at the EU LCS Classic Showmatch in France on July 25, six days before Cyanide’s reported death.

Fnatic figures, former colleagues and supporters shared condolences, remembering both his role in the organisation’s first world title and his influence on the game’s earliest competitive years.