Johnathan Wendel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fatal1ty |
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Wendel in 2023
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| Personal information | |
| Name | Johnathan Wendel |
| Born | February 26, 1981 |
| Nationality | American |
| Career information | |
| Games |
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| Playing career | 1999–2006 |
Johnathan Wendel (born February 26, 1981), known as Fatal1ty (pronounced "Fatality"), is an American entrepreneur and former professional esports player. He started his professional gaming journey in 1999. At his first big tournament, he won $4,000 and took third place.
Wendel became very successful in the years that followed. He won many championships and earned a lot of prize money. By the time he stopped playing professionally in 2006, he had won $450,000. This was a record for esports prize winnings at the time.
Even after retiring, Wendel stayed involved in the gaming world. He received special awards for his achievements, like Lifetime Achievement Awards. He was also added to important gaming halls of fame.
Contents
A Gaming Champion's Journey
Early Days and First Steps
From a young age, Johnathan Wendel loved playing first-person shooters (FPS) like Doom. In the early 1990s, he spent hours playing Quake online after school. He also went to LAN parties, which are events where people bring their computers to play games together.
At one of these events, he met another player who suggested he try bigger tournaments. After high school, Wendel made a deal with his dad. If he didn't earn money at his first major tournament, he would go back to school.
Rising to Stardom in Quake III
Wendel started his professional gaming career with Quake III Arena. In October 1999, when he was 18, he paid $500 to enter a Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) tournament in Texas. He finished third and won $4,000, proving he could make money from gaming.
The next year, in 2000, he went to Sweden for his first international tournament. He won every single match, with 18 wins and no losses! Throughout 2000, Wendel won many CPL events around the world. He also won the 2000 World Cyber Games in South Korea. From Quake III tournaments, he earned $110,000 in prize money. He also got $25,000 from sponsors like Razer.
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Conquering New Games
In 2001, Wendel won the CPL World Championship for Aliens vs. Predator 2. He received a special car and $40,000 for this win. After not qualifying for a big tournament in 2002, he decided to try a new game: Unreal Tournament 2003. He won the 2002 CPL Winter event and took home $10,000.
Another big win came in 2004. He became the first-ever Doom 3 champion at QuakeCon 2004, winning $25,000. These victories showed he was one of the best players in esports at that time.
The Painkiller Triumph
In 2005, Wendel switched to playing Painkiller for the CPL World Tour. This was a year-long series of tournaments across four continents. The finals were held in New York.
In the grand finals, Wendel faced Sander "Vo0" Kaasjager, who was the top Painkiller player. Wendel had to win two best-of-three matches because he had lost once before. He won four games in a row, securing first place. This victory earned him an amazing $150,000, which was a huge prize for esports back then. This win also marked his fifth world title, each in a different FPS game!
Retirement from Competitive Play
In 2006, Wendel focused on Quake IV. He competed in the World Series of Video Games (WSVG) Finals. He made it to the finals, where he played against Johan "Toxjq" Quick. Wendel was the first player to beat Quick in a match. However, Quick won the second match, and Wendel finished in second place.
After this event, Wendel decided to retire from professional gaming. He felt that his favorite type of game was becoming less popular. Even though he retired, he still made appearances at gaming events, including exhibition matches and a Guinness World Record event.
A Lasting Legacy in Esports
Throughout his career, Johnathan Wendel earned $450,000 in prize money from seven different games. This was a record in esports for over six years. It was finally broken in late 2013 by a StarCraft player named Lee "Jaedong" Jae-dong.
Wendel has received many honors for his impact on esports. In August 2007, he got the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at a gaming convention in Germany. This award recognized his sportsmanship and how he helped shape the world of esports.
In August 2010, Wendel was one of the first people to be inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame. He was also added to the ESL Esports Hall of Fame in November 2018. In October 2020, he received another Lifetime Achievement Award from the Esports Awards.
Personal Life
Johnathan Wendel was born on February 26, 1981, in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents worked in car factories. His dad also ran a pool hall. When he was 13, his parents divorced. In high school, he played on the tennis team.
In 2006, Wendel moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He lived near the famous Las Vegas Strip.
Media and Business Ventures
Media Appearances
In 2003, Johnathan Wendel appeared in an MTV documentary called MTV True Life: I'm a Gamer. The show followed his journey as he played Unreal Tournament 2003 and won the 2002 CPL Winter tournament. Wendel said the MTV show helped his career a lot by giving him ongoing attention.
In January 2006, Wendel was featured on the news program 60 Minutes. This show talked about his professional gaming career and how esports was growing around the world.
Business Ventures
In 2002, Wendel started his own company, Fatal1ty Inc. He wanted to rely less on sponsors for his gaming career. Soon after starting, he made $50,000 selling mousepads.
By 2007, Wendel had partnered with companies like Creative Labs, XFX, and Universal Abit. These companies used his brand name on their gaming products. In 2006, his company reportedly earned about $5 million in royalties. His partnership with Creative in 2006 led to the Fatal1ty Gaming Headset. This was the first headset with a microphone that could be removed, a feature now common in gaming headsets.
In 2017, Wendel helped start ReadyUp. This is a service that helps both amateur and professional esports teams manage their activities. In 2023, he joined the advisory board of Glytch, a company that creates esports and gaming venues.
See also
In Spanish: Fatal1ty para niños
