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League of Legends gamer Remilia has died suddenly aged 24, her best friend has confirmed.

Real name Maria Creveling, from the US, she was the first ever woman to compete professionally in the game.

She won a spot in the League of Legends Championship Series in 2015 as part of the esports team Renegades.

Tributes have flooded in online to the esports gamer, who many hailed as an “inspiration”.

Remilia – who was transgender – stepped back from the spotlight, saying pressure of competing on stage was impacting her mental health.

Her pal and fellow player Richard Lewis announced her death today on Twitter.

(Image: Twitter)

He wrote: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that my best friend Maria Creveling passed away peacefully in her sleep yesterday.

“Her absence will leave a void that can never be filled.

“She would not have wanted any lengthy statements or grand eulogies. Despite having fans all over the world she was never one who craved the spotlight.

“My only request is that anyone wanting to pay tribute reach out to ensure that it is done in a manner that respects her wishes.”

(Image: Twitter)

Remilia had previously tweeted hailing Lewis as her “best friend” and an “amazing human being”.

Another account appearing to belong to her boyfriend, tweeted: "My girlfriend Maria died last night, she wouldn't want any lengthy public statement.

"So all I'll say is the four months I knew her were the best of both our lives and although she deserved so much more.

"It was a privilege to know her for the short time I did. RIP Maria, I love you."

League of Legends analyst Gustavo Cima said: "She’s a beautiful soul and will always be missed."

Pro-gamer Greyson Gilmer added: "This is terribly tragic, Maria was always so kind and thoughtful in all my interactions with her."

Esports commentator Anders Blume said her death was "absolutely heartbreaking" and gamer Seth King said it was "terrible".

Gaming coach Gabriel Halier Garcia added: "I worked with her during a week in KLG and she always keep contact. Breaks my heart that news."

Remilia had posted a number of haunting posts in the days leading up to her death to her almost 60,000 followers on Twitter.

She said: "It doesn't feel like Christmas. It just feels like depression."

However, she had also spoken excitedly about seeing her boyfriend – including posting a picture of them together.

She had said she hoped for some "peace and quiet" gaming as she continued to promote her streams on Twitch.

And on December 24, she wrote: "I know I'm not perfect, I'm a flawed and emotional person but you will always be able to count on me until the day I die."

(Image: Twitter)

Remilia targeted by a torrent of online abuse as she rose to the top of the League of Legends community – and she spoke candidly about he pressure when she stepped down from Renegades.

Speaking in 2016, she said: "The past few weeks have been really tough for me as I’ve continued to struggle with a lot of personal issues.

"Most notably anxiety and self-esteem issues.

"These were amplified by playing on stage and the rigorous day-to-day of being a pro player, compounded with a lot of the stress."

Remilia was involved in a scandal regarding her team in 2018 whom she blamed for botched gender reassignment surgery.

She said claimed she had been left in extreme pain, permanent numbers and intense nerve damage around the pelvic area.

The pro-gamer claimed Renegades team owner Chris Badawi had said he would help her get surgery if she helped get the team into LCS.

Remilia said the surgery left her suffering “absolutely unbearable pain” while playing on stage for Renegades.

Badawi released a statement on Reddit and confirmed the pair had travelled to Thailand because all US hospitals had a two-year waiting period.

He claimed Remilia had wanted to surgery done before she appeared on the LCS stage.

The team boss said it cost him $8,500 and claimed he stayed by her side during the recovery process.

Remilia eventually had to undergo further treatment following the surgery. and Badawi said the incident had “nothing to do with the team”.

Last year, she spoke suggesting she may one day to return to esports and was planning to look for a new team.

Fans have also been flooding social media with tributes, hailing her as a "true inspiration" and an "icon".

One wrote: "She was a true inspiration for a lot of people and someone who didn't deserve to leave this world that early."

Another added: "I'm in utter shock and emptiness about Remilia. Her story encouraged me.

"She's overall been such an inspiration to me. She's in a better place now."