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Maria “Remilia” Creveling was the first woman to ever play in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). Last Friday this shooting star passed away in her sleep at the age of 24. The world was told of her passing from her confidant and close friend, journalist Richard Lewis. He made the announcement on Twitter.

“It is with great sadness that I inform you that my best friend Maria Creveling passed away peacefully in her sleep yesterday,” Lewis Tweeted. “Her absence will leave a void that can never be filled.

I knew Maria through Lewis and even had her write a couple of pieces for me while I was the editor-in-chief at VPEsports. In her piece “Not Sure Where I’d be Without Esports, it’s Carved Out a Place in This Life for Me”, the last she would write, Maria wrote about the positives of esports and what it had done for her. There were a couple of lines that stood out to me.

“With a passionate player base and the intensity of international competition, it’s no surprise that when you reach the highest level of play, you’ll be sure to accumulate not only lifelong friends but a dedicated group of fans,” Maria wrote.

And then she backed that up with more.

“I can safely say that I am blessed to have my fans and community around me,” Maria penned. “Every day I can rely on them to pick me up if I’m feeling bad and if I’m going through some rough times there’s always someone willing to lend a hand.”

I knew Maria was transgender, but honestly, I never thought of her as such. I thought of her as a woman who was one of the best League of Legends players in the world, bar none. And although I was told she was a player of some renown, after I saw what she had done, I was blown away.

As a member of the Renegades in 2016, Maria was the first woman to qualify (2015) for and play in an LCS match. She played support and changed her in-game name to “Remi” during her time with the Renegades. She played in six matches going 1-5. After that slow start, Maria would leave the team after two months stating in a now archived post that she was struggling with personal issues.

To me and many others, Maria was not only a pioneer in breaking the glass ceiling for women in League of Legends esports, but she was also a respected yet guarded transgender woman. She publicly stated in the past that she didn’t want her accomplishments to be viewed through an LGBTQ lens; she wanted to be seen as an accomplished woman that worked hard to achieve her goals.

“I just want it to be known that I accomplished my goal for real, and I accomplished it for me, my teammates, and girls in esports,” Creveling posted on Reddit. “That’s it. No one else. Don’t f—— put me on some LGBT agenda or some b——- and bring that up. That’s not me. I don’t believe in that. I don’t want messages acknowledging that part of my life, sorry. That’s not for any of you guys.”

Again, while some wanted to put Maria up on a pedestal simply because she was a woman, she fought hard to simply be looked upon for her accomplishments. She was an advocate for everyone to be looked upon for their accomplishments and not what they identify as; she truly believed in a meritocracy.

“In the end though, the competition doesn’t mean much to me. I don’t care to be the best in the world. I love playing with a team and accomplishing stuff and being recognized for it. When I set out initially, I wanted to be the first girl in LCS,” Creveling added on Reddit. “That was what motivated me. That dream I had I accomplished and yet it is being challenged in such a heartless way.”

And although she was, in fact, one of the pioneers that helped usher girls and women into esports, no good deed goes unpunished. Maria was often criticized with mean-spirited comments.

“If you want my honesty, everyone that tries to take away from what I accomplished, well I will always spite them,” Maria posted. “I’m always extremely salty when dealing with fans on mediums like Twitter and reddit. I’ve met some really cool fans in person at the studio for sure.”

Maria was a very complex and private person, but if one looks at the overarching theme of her life, one thing stands out: She just wanted to be loved by her friends and teammates.

Yes, she wanted to compete and be the best LCS player she could be, but just by being on those teams, she was in her element. All-for-one and one-for-all, there was no better place. She sought solace in her teammates. They were her family. They were the ones that kept her going. But when that fell apart for a while, there was one man that magnanimously opened his doors to her and gave her a home.

Richard Lewis.

It’s no wonder the two found each other. Both famous, both believing that hard work and skill set are what people should be recognized for in terms of accolades, Lewis and Maria hit it off and became the closest of friends.

Maria soon moved in with Lewis and started streaming. She would play League of Legends or other games and talk about life and how she just wanted to feel how she supposed everyone else did–comfortable in their own skin. Unfortunately, that would never happen on this earth, but perhaps she has found that solace now.

Maria left us too soon. She will be missed and loved by thousands.

“Death frees us from even ourselves.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana.

You’re free now Maria to be yourself and when the time comes, you can tell us all about it.

Godspeed Maria.