Former French Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player and streamer Malek Bennouioua, known online as maleK or MalekCSGO, has reportedly died at 35.
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Bennouioua → know → 35
His death was announced by a close friend on X on September 27, and tributes have since come from well-known names in the French Counter-Strike scene.
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tributes → announce → scene
Malek spent more than a decade around competitive Counter-Strike before moving into content creation.
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Malek → spend → creation
He had about 155,000 Twitch followers.
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He → have → followers
The cause of death has not been officially confirmed, while relatives have asked everyone to avoid rumours and respect their privacy as his family deals with grief.
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family → confirm → grief
Malek Bennouioua death announced by close friend
His friend @TheNextPharaon shared the announcement on X.
HLTV reported that Malek began playing CS:Source in 2011 and competed for beGenius and Epsilon.
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Malek → announce → beGenius
“Our brother known by the pseudonym MalekCSGO, has passed away today.
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brother → know → pseudonym
May Allah open the gates of paradise for him, inshallah.”
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Allah → open → him
“Wallahi, I’m so da*n sad.
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I → ’m → ?
I’ve known him since childhood; we have so many memories in common.
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we → know → memories
I’d go on his Twitch channel whenever I needed a hit of nostalgia so we could reminisce together about the old days.”
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we → go → days
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Engin “MAJ3R” Küpel, Steeve “Ozstrik3r” Flavigni
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire wrote:
“Rest in peace, maleK.”
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Madesclaire → write → peace
X user @teufeurs added:
“I’m shocked and saddened to learn of Malek’s passing.
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I → add → passing
We had a lot of problems and conflicts, but in early 2026, he came on his own to apologize and sent me a message of encouragement for my weight loss and to wish me success.
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he → have → success
I wish strength to his family, and my thoughts are with his children.
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thoughts → wish → children
May he rest in peace.”
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he → rest → peace
Engin “MAJ3R” Küpel wrote:
“We loved you too, beautiful man.
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We → write → you
We lost Malek last night.
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We → lose → Malek
Throughout my career in France, our paths crossed many times; there was always love and respect between us in every conversation.
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paths → cross → conversation
He always spoke beautifully about us and approached the Turkish community with love.
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He → speak → love
May God have mercy on him, brother.
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God → have → him
We will never forget you.”
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We → forget → you
Steeve “Ozstrik3r” Flavigni wrote:
“Like you, I learned tonight, around 3 a.m., about Malek CSGO’s passing.
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I → write → passing
I couldn’t fall back asleep after that.
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I → fall → that
And even as I write these words, I’m still struggling to grasp that this could be real.
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this → write → words
Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves that everything we do here—Internet, social networks, video games… in the end, all of it holds very little importance in the face of this kind of tragedy.
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all → need → tragedy
The only thing that matters today is that he is gone and that he leaves behind two children.
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he → matter → children
I think of them with all my heart, as well as their mother and all his loved ones.
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I → think → heart
And every time a tragedy strikes one of our own, it hits me deeply.
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it → strike → me
Because behind the usernames, the debates, the matches, and the networks, there are real brothers who share the same passion, people who are part of our daily lives…
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who → be → lives
The Aporia
