T1 COO John Kim Passes Away

A sad news for T1 and the global esports scene. T1’s Chief Operating Officer John Kim passed away on July 16, 2021 due to health issues. The company’s Instagram page confirmed this news.

In a post shared minuets ago, @t1lol said that John Kim was hospitalized on July 7 due to some health issues. He finally succumbed to illness today.

“It is with profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of our COO, John Kim. After being hospitalized on July 7 due to health issues, John passed away on July 16, 2021,” the post said.

“John has been instrumental in building T1, worked tirelessly for our players and staff and he will be missed dearly. While we mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague, we will also continue to celebrate his life and the time we had with him,” the post continued.

The organization also wishes to “please keep John’s family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this difficult time.”

John Kim as T1 COO

John Kim is COO of T1 Entertainment & Sports. As COO, John leads all operational functions for T1’s global portfolio and oversees the day-to-day operations in competitive gaming segments. This includes Fortnite, Dota 2, PUBG, Super Smash Bros., Hearthstone and Apex Legends. In this role, John was responsible for creating more opportunities for fans to celebrate T1’s gaming culture, content, teams and players.

Prior to serving as COO, John co-founded Insights.gg, an online collaboration platform utilizing live-remote sessions and AI to help gamers improve their game. John also served as CEO of professional esports organization Meta Gaming. It competes in games such as Overwatch, PUBG Mobile and Fortnite. Kim ventured into the esports industry in 2016 with the launch of Akshon Media. It is a digital content and creative studio focused on gaming.

Kim is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur with more than 12 years of experience leading all facets of business. John launched his first company TSB in 2006 while obtaining his undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University. He grew the custom software startup to service thousands of customers around the world. John graduated with a degree in Psychology and Sociology from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. John lives in Seoul with his wife Joanne.

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