InternetHulk

Dennis Hawelka (March 22, 1987 – November 8, 2017), also known as InternetHulk, was a German professional esports player and coach. He rose to prominence in 2016, after establishing and playing for team IDDQD in the beta release of Overwatch. He went on to play for Team EnVyUs, winning several major tournaments, including season one of Overwatch Apex. In mid-2017, he transitioned to a coaching position for Team Liquid's Overwatch team, and later for their League of Legends team.

InternetHulk
Hawelka in 2016
Personal information
NameDennis Hawelka
Born(1987-03-22)March 22, 1987
Germany
DiedNovember 8, 2017(2017-11-08) (aged 30)
Santa Monica, California
Career information
Games
Playing career2015–2017
Coaching career2017
Team history
As player:
2016IDDQD
2016–2017Team EnVyUs
As coach:
2017Rogue[lower-alpha 1]
2017Team Liquid
Career highlights and awards

Hawelka died in November 2017 due to an enlarged heart. Several tributes were made in his name, including the Overwatch League's annual Dennis Hawelka Award.

Early life

Hawelka was born in Germany to his parents Jürgen Hawelka and Gisela Hawelka on March 22, 1987.[1][2]

Career

Hawelka's esports career began with playing a multitude of game titles, including World of Warcraft, League of Legends, StarCraft 2, and Call of Duty 1 and 2. He won three World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King titles and was the first player in the world to reach the "Challenger" rank in season four of League of Legends. He also played for Team Germany for Call of Duty 1 and 2.[3]

Hawelka began his Overwatch career in February 2016, founding and playing for team IDDQD.[3][4] From February to April 2016, during Overwatch's closed beta, he and the team did not lose a single series, and on April 23, 2016, they were signed by Team EnVyUs.[5][6] As the captain of the team, Hawelka led EnVyUs to a 57-game winning streak, spanning from June 11 to August 22, 2016.[7] He and the team went on to win the first season of Overwatch Apex, the premier Overwatch tournament series in South Korea, after defeating Afreeca Freecs Blue in the Grand Finals match in December 2016.[5] The same month, they won the MLG Vegas Overwatch Invitational, after defeating FaZe Clan 4–0 in the finals.[8] He also played for Team Germany in the 2016 and 2017 Overwatch World Cups.[3] A month after a top-eight finish at Apex season 2 in March 2017, Hawelka departed from EnVyUs.[9][10]

In late April 2017, Hawelka was signed by Rogue as a temporary coach and strategic analyst for Apex season three.[11][12] He was then signed by Team Liquid as the team's head coach on June 2, 2017.[12] Following the disbandment of Team Liquid's Overwatch division, Team Liquid picked up Hawelka as a coach for their League of Legends division for their upcoming 2018 season.[10] Prior to his death in November 2017, Team Liquid co-CEO and owner Steve Arhancet planned to promote Hawelka to the team's head coach.[13]

Death

He died on November 7, 2017 in Santa Monica, California.[14] His death was announced the following day by Team Liquid owners Victor Goossen and Steve Arhancet via a statement on Twitter.[10] While some initial reports stated that the cause of death was due to complications associated with tonsillitis,[15] a forensic investigation revealed that his death was caused by an enlarged heart.[16]

Following the death of Hawelka, the Overwatch community organized the "Hulktastic Cup", a charity tournament to honor Hawelka and his contributions to the Overwatch community, which took place on November 11, 2017. The tournament raised over US$10,000 for charity and his family.[17][18]

On November 16, 2017, Blizzard Entertainment added a tribute to Hawelka in Overwatch. A white flower, candle, and symbol were added to the German-based map Eichenwalde. In addition, the Overwatch League created the "Dennis Hawelka Award", an annual award given to the player who deemed to had made the most positive impact on the community.[19][20]

Notes
  1. Temporary coach

References
  1. Overwatch League (March 22, 2019). Happy Birthday INTERNETHULK. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  2. "The Crusader Stands Watch - The Garden". internethulk.bio. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  3. Hollander, Matthias (November 9, 2017). "Deutsche eSports-Legende verstorben". Sport1 (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  4. Jin, Dal Yong, ed. (2021). Global Esports: Transformation of Cultural Perceptions of Competitive Gaming. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 155. ISBN 9781501368752.
  5. Holländer, Matthias (December 12, 2016). "EnVyUs mit finalem Triumph in Korea". Sport1 (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  6. "EnVy Reworks Overwatch Roster". April 23, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  7. Lingle, Samuel (August 23, 2016). "Rogue ends long EnVyUs winning streak in one of best Overwatch matches ever". Dot Esports. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  8. Alambeigi, Alena (December 19, 2016). "Team EnVyUs crowned MLG Vegas 'Overwatch' Invitational champions". Yahoo News. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  9. Holländer, Matthias (March 9, 2017). "EnVyUs in der zweiten APEX-Phase". Sport1 (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  10. Goslin, Austen (November 9, 2017). "Former pro player, coach INTERNETHULK passes away at 30". Heroes Never Die. Polygon. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  11. Alonzo, Damian (April 27, 2017). "How pro Overwatch team Rogue's DPS tactics can help you on the ladder". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  12. Carpenter, Nicole (June 2, 2017). "Former Team EnVyUs player INTERNETHULK will join Team Liquid as head coach". Dot Esports. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  13. Yim, Miles (May 4, 2020). "Team Liquid turns to caster Jatt as new League of Legends coach". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  14. "Dennis Hawelka Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information". Legacy.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  15. Jones, Ali (September 11, 2017). "Blizzard paid tribute to Internethulk during last night's Overwatch League". PCGamesN. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  16. Carpenter, Nicole (December 28, 2017). "INTERNETHULK's family thanks the community for their support". Dot Esports. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  17. Carpenter, Nicole (November 15, 2017). "Blizzard to honor INTERNETHULK with a seasonal Overwatch League award". Dot Esports. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  18. Mitchell, Ferguson (November 16, 2017). "Overwatch League Award Created to Honor Recently Passed Coach, Dennis Hawelka". The Esports Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  19. Ring, Oliver (November 16, 2017). "Overwatch League introduces award in memory of INTERNETHULK". Esports Insider. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  20. Carpenter, Nicole (November 17, 2017). "Blizzard adds in-game memorial for late Overwatch pro Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka". Dot Esports. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
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