Johnathan Wendel

Fatal1ty
Wendel in 2023
Personal information
NameJohnathan Wendel
Born (1981-02-26) February 26, 1981 (age 43)
NationalityAmerican
Career information
Games
Playing career1999–2006
Signature

Johnathan Wendel (born February 26, 1981), 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.

Although Wendel retired from professional play in 2006, he maintained involvement in the esports scene, making appearances at events and participating in exhibition matches. Wendel's contributions garnered widespread recognition, earning him accolades such as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Leipzig Games Convention and the Esports Awards. He has also been inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame and the ESL Esports Hall of Fame.