Hunter C. March 24, 2019
Team Liquid has launched a bio website for former Overwatch coach Dennis “INTERNETHULK” Hawelka on the late player’s birthday.
The bio, titled “The Crusader Stands Watch,” tells his story from the perspective of his family and close friends.
INTERNETHULK was a former grandmaster Terran player in Starcraft 2 and a Challenger ranked player in League of Legends before he made his transition to Overwatch. He was a founding member of early Overwatch team IDDQD, and was eventually signed to the Team EnVyUs esports organization along with the rest of his team. EnVyUs became fan favorites in the Overwatch community due to the squad’s creative style of play and eventual dominance. The roster won Apex Season 1 in Korea and MLG Vegas 2016 during the original team’s reign.
INTERNETHULK chose not to renew his player contract with EnVyUs before Apex Season 2, choosing instead to move into a coaching role.
It took some time for the affable INTERNETHULK to adjust to the new leadership role, but he became more than capable, later serving as Team Liquid’s head coach. When the Team Liquid Overwatch roster disbanded, he was moved into another head coaching position with the organization’s League of Legends team.
On November 8th, 2017, Team Liquid announced that INTERNETHULK had passed at the age of 30. His official cause of death was an enlarged heart.
INTERNETHULK was one of the competitive Overwatch scene’s most beloved figures. Posthumously, an Overwatch tournament was held in his name to help his family with funeral costs. Blizzard remembered him in-game on the Eichenwald map with a special tribute that can be found in the attackers’ spawn room next to the crusader poster.
In his honor, the Overwatch League awards the Dennis Hawelka award every year to the player that brings the most positive impact to the professional community. The inaugural award went to Pongphop “Mickie” Rattanasangchod of the Dallas Fuel, a team whose roster was comprised largely of the former EnVyUs squad members that were so beloved by Overwatch fans.
INTERNETHULK may have passed, but his legacy lives on in the foundation of the Overwatch League. He had a profound impact on many professional Overwatch players, and his infectious smile and kind soul are missed by the Overwatch community to this day.