Johnathan ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel
2000's Era Gamer
Class of 2010 Inductee
Johnathan Wendel, also known as Fatal1ty (pronounced “Fatality”), is an American entrepreneur and former professional esports player.
He made his professional debut at a 1999 Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) tournament, securing third place and $4,000.
Wendel continued to compete in CPL events, claiming multiple championships and accumulating $110,000 in prize money.
His success soared in subsequent years. Wendel won the CPL World Championship for Aliens vs. Predator 2 in 2001. He became a world champion in Unreal Tournament 2003 after winning the 2002 CPL Winter event. Wendel’s achievements extended to Doom 3, where he became the inaugural champion at QuakeCon 2004.
In 2005, he won his fifth world title in as many video game titles, after winning the CPL World title in Painkiller, securing an unprecedented $150,000 prize.
By the end of his playing career, he had amassed an esports record of $450,000 in prize winnings.
In 2002, Wendel established his own company, Fatal1ty Inc., with the intention of reducing reliance on sponsorships to support his competitive gaming endeavors.
In 2017, Wendel co-founded ReadyUp, a comprehensive esports team management service aimed at both amateur and professional teams.
In 2023, he joined the advisory board of Glytch, a company specializing in esports and gaming venues.
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