The family has confirmed former League of Legends (LoL) mid laner Maciej “Shushei” Ratuszniak has passed away at the age of 36 on April 28, 2025.
Shushei passes away after losing a battle with cancer
The Polish professional player was part of the Fnatic roster that won the first League of Legends World Championship in 2011, alongside other famous European pros such as Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínez, Lauri “Cyanide” Happonen, Peter “Mellisan” Meisrimel, and Manuel “LaMiaZeaLoT” Mildenberger.
Shushei took Fnatic to glory as the starting mid laner, becoming famous for his Gragas performances. His signature champion was chosen for the Worlds skin as well, and it’s still purchasable in the shop today. Aside from his Gragas, Shushei used to play other non-standard mid lane champions like Alistar.
His former team, Fnatic, paid a tribute on social media: “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.”
Other famous personalities in the esports scene also made a tribute to the player: “I’m at a loss for words. I can’t believe we lost our first World Champion Midlaner so soon. Rest in peace Shushei, you inspired so many both on and off the rift,” said LCK caster Max “Atlus” Anderson. “RIP legend I will never forget the memories we share,” commented Yamato “YamatoCannon” Mebdi through his own X post.
Shushei’s career and influence on the Polish esports scene
Shushei’s career was relatively short: the player moved across different teams after winning the World Championship in 2011. The player first played for EloHell before founding DragonBorns with his longtime friend Eryk “HosaN” Wilczyński. He stayed on the team for less than a year before ending his career with American esports organization Pulse Esports.
Despite playing competitively for only three years, Shushei was a crucial figure in the early era of esports in Poland, having formed a loyal fan base in the League of Legends community. After retiring, the pro player moved to streaming and occasionally appeared in exhibition matches.
According to the official post made by her sister, the funeral will take place on May 5 in the chapel of the Roman Catholic Curch of the Resurrection in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
We extend our condolences to his family and friends.