Rainbow Six Siege esports is in shock today with the news that Michael ‘KiXSTAr’ Stockley has passed away unexpectedly, aged just 24, as confirmed by his family. The news broke to the wider public today, Oct. 31, when his long-time commentary partner and friend Parker ‘INTERRO’ Mackay, who tweeted the statement below, which was made by KiXSTAr’s family.

There is no confirmation on the cause of death at the time of writing, with KiXSTAr's family saying simply that the tragic news was unexpected. His importance to Siege cannot be overstated, as a former player-turned-caster, he defined the game at the highest level, in partnership with INTERRO, as the voice of every major final when it came to the esports side of the game.

INTERRO paid tribute to his fallen friend, calling KiXSTAr a best friend and brother, as well as a colleague. Tributes to KiXSTAr immediately flooded onto Twitter with the news breaking, with many players and people in the scene citing him as an inspiration for their own moves into esports, and speaking of him in the warmest possible tones. 

As a player, KiXSTAr even represented the same orgs as legends like Troy ‘Canadian’ Jaroslawski, winning NA Pro League in season one of their first year. Hunter Cooke, a journalist with Siege.gg, put the loss into context. "There will never be another KiXSTaR,” he said. “The SiegeGG team sends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. We lost one of the all-time greats of our community."

In 2020, KiXSTAr won Esports Colour Commentator of the Year at the Esports Awards and was nominated again for the 2021 edition. His work was not just revered, but influenced a generation of casters that followed him and INTERRO into the game. His expertise will be as missed as keenly as his signature humour, and his legacy will last long beyond today as one of the formative, and most talented people to commentate competitive FPS anywhere in the world.