Rainbow Six Siege Pro League Caster Michael "KiXSTAr" Stockley Passes Away at 24
By Jakob Lucas
Michael "KiXSTAr" Stockley passed away unexpectedly on Monday, Oct. 11, it was announced by his family on Wednesday. The announcement was distributed on Twitter by his casting partner Parker "INTERRO" Mackay.
A statement from the family of Michael "KiXSTAr" Stockley (March 9, 1997 - October 11, 2021) pic.twitter.com/wcxeK38wQn
— Parker Mackay (@INTERRO) October 13, 2021
KiXSTAr was one of the most beloved and talented members of the Rainbow Six Siege Pro League talent team. Last year, he was awarded the Esports Colour Caster of the Year award at the Esports Awards 2020. He was nominated as a finalist for this year's version of the award as well.
Rainbow Six Siege Pro League expressed their deepest condolences and postponed Wednesday night's North American League playday to an unspecified date. KiXSTAr was scheduled to cast part of the broadcast.
— Rainbow Six Esports (@R6esports) October 13, 2021
The announcement was instantly met with an outpouring of grief at the community's immense loss. Everybody from players to fans to fellow talent to the Rainbow 6 development team expressed their nearly indescribable gratitude for KiXSTAr. Many noted his contributions to the game and esports scene while others noted the impact their personal relationship with KixSTAr had on them. (Not enough tweets can be included to justify the response of the R6 Esports community, everybody has been profoundly impacted by KiXSTAr's passing).
Kix was someone at the core of the comp Siege community from day one when we were playing challonge bracket tournaments for bragging rights. Thanks for putting your heart and soul into helping build our home Michael. RIP ?
— Troy ?? (@BroCanadian) October 13, 2021
My condolences first and foremost to Michael's family.
— Wei Yue (@Wei2Yue) October 13, 2021
KiX was a shining star of the R6 Siege community. His dedication, knowledge, passion, and positivity for the game and its esports were unmatched. Thank you for everything. You will be dearly missed. https://t.co/yAjV7YI2ak
His casting partner INTERRO briefly addressed the loss, noting that the past 24 hours have been incredibly difficult and that he was struggling to find the right words to express his feeling. He will be putting out a statement at a later time.
I've struggled to put my thoughts into proper words over the last 24 hours. I'm at a total loss. I lost a best friend, a brother, and a coworker. I'm beyond heartbroken. I love you Michael and I'll miss you so much.
— Parker Mackay (@INTERRO) October 13, 2021
Obviously, everybody should respect KiXSTAr's family's privacy at this time. The Stockley family requests that instead of sending flowers, "interested parties send a donation to a local food bank in Michael's name."
KiXSTAr's dedication and passion are a massive reason that so many fans fell in love with the Rainbow Six Siege esports scene and the game itself. He is among the best and the brightest casters in the entire esports industry. His contributions and impact were monumental and will forever be remembered.
On a personal note, he was one of my favorite casters of any esport and a big reason I began watching Pro League. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. Thank you for everything you did Michael, you will be missed. Rest In Peace.