Teen dies after playing Diablo III for 40 hours

Non-stop Diablo III gaming binge with no food or sleep claims another life.

Tarryn van der BylJuly 18, 2012

Proving once again that getting up and moving around and eating food and sleeping is good for you, another young man has died after clocking too many hours in front of a PC screen without doing any of those other things.

According to a report in The Australian, an 18-year old Taiwanese teen identified only by his surname, Chuang, booked himself into a private room at an internet café and played Diablo III for the next 40 hours without stopping. At that point, an attendant found Chuang slumped over the desk, and woke him. Chuang then stood up and walked several steps before collapsing. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly thereafter.

No autopsy has been performed yet, but doctors speculated that “long hours in a sedentary position created cardiovascular problems”.

Unusually, Blizzard has released a statement about the death, saying that “We’re saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We don’t feel it would be appropriate for us to comment further without knowing all of the circumstances involved.”

“While we recognise that it’s ultimately up to each individual or their parent or guardian to determine playing habits, we feel that moderation is clearly important, and that a person’s day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment.”

Remember kids, life is played on Hardcore mode.