4. A Heartbreaking Tragedy

In 2001, 13-year old Anna Kehoe was on her Xbox 360 when she suffered a heart attack so severe that she was left braindead. Her last words were, “Mum, I can’t breathe,” leading doctors to suspect that an asthma attack triggered the cardiac arrest. Anna’s parents decided to pull the plug on life support, immortalizing her as one of the youngest video game deaths in history.

3. Roshan’s Revenge

In 2015, a young man known as Rustam died after playing 22 solid days of DOTA, an immensely popular online game. In the last few weeks leading to his death, he had broken his leg and was forced to stay indoors. Doctors believe that Rustam died of depression and thrombosis from not moving around. Rustam died the same time his hero lost the Aegis of the Immortal.

2. The Master Chief

Chris Staniforth, 20, was famous among his friends for binging on Halo multiple times a week. In 2011, during his usual 12-hour console session, a blood clot traveled from his legs to his lungs, instantly ending his campaign. In a statement, Team Xbox said: ‘We have always encouraged responsible play through our education campaigns, such as Play Smart, Play Safe.’

1. The End of a Quest

Back in 2007, 21-year old Shawn Wooley shot himself at his computer while logged in on Everquest. His mother admitted the fact that he suffered from a bunch of life problems, but she blamed the game entirely for his death. She even mentioned that, even if some sort of rejection may have pushed Shawn over the edge, she still considered suing Sony for not including a warning label on the game’s packaging.

Any more cautionary tales of death by videogames? Sound off in the comments below!

Pages: 1 2