Former Gears of War and Fortnite pro Xcells killed in a shooting at a Franklin County home in Virginia

Christopher "Xcells," an ex-Gears of War player and Fortnite professional, was reportedly shot dead in an altercation at a Boones Mill home near Virgil Goode Highway. The police report states that Hill approached a homeowner he did not know and was thereafter fatally shot.

The Gears of War community was plunged into sadness as the news spread on social media, with many professional esports personalities taking to Twitter to commemorate Chris' passing.

Gears 5 coach recalls recent correspondence with Xcells after hearing about his tragic demise

As a member of LoX, Xcells debuted in Gears of War competitions back in 2014. He played for several teams through the years, most notably NRG, with whom he won the 2016 MLG GameBattles 2K Series NA. He later came close in subsequent years with eUnited and Enigma6 Group but got second place at best.

His last appearance at a professional tournament, according to the Gears of War wiki, was back in 2019 at Gears Esports 2019-20 NA Fall Pro League Qualifier 5 with Lux Gaming, where he was eliminated in Round 3. He also streamed Fortnite and had 23.5K followers on Twitch. Xcells was trying to compete professionally but did not see the same level of success with Fortnite.

Local news outlets reported that the Martinsville resident was found dead by law enforcement after receiving calls about shots being fired at a Boones Mill residence. The Roanoke Times stated:

Twitter reactions

Gears 5 coach and three-time world champion FatalStryke tweeted about Xcells' passing, calling him his best friend:

Other players from both Gears of War and Fortnite communities showered the streamer with praise, bidding him hearty farewells. Many people close to him mentioned his mental state in their posts. Most remembered him fondly and expressed their grief on social media:

Investigations are currently underway and no one has yet been charged, according to official reports. Further information is yet to be released to the public.

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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