dailynewsnblog
Valorant player Tyler “sym” Porter has died aged 21 in a car crash.
The news was shared on May 5 by one of Porter’s friends on X, who confirmed the former pro player and another friend named Austen had died in a vehicle accident while Porter was celebrating his 21st birthday.
“With a broken heart, I write this message to everyone that sadly my best friend @symstar and our good friend Austen sadly passed away late last night in a car accident,” the post read. “Tyler was celebrating his 21st birthday trip.”
Porter was best known for his time competing in Valorant with TSM, where he played for both the organization’s academy and then the main roster in 2024.
Tributes paid to sym
TSM paid tribute to Porter in a statement posted to social media following news of his death.
“From elevating our Academy program to helping us reach Ascension on the main roster, you left your mark on TSM VALORANT,” the organization wrote.
“You had so much ahead of you, and we’ll miss you dearly, @symstar. May you and Austen rest in peace.”
Several figures from across the Valorant esports scene also shared tributes, including 100 Thieves player Sean “bang” Bezerra.
“I hadn’t talked to Tyler in a very long time but we used to be close,” bang wrote. “We were both trying to go pro at the same time and we teamed together a lot in the early parts of our career.”
“I’ll cherish all the memories I made with him and the things we taught each other. I have this funny screenshot of us spam messaging each other to wake up for scrims cuz we were both irresponsible kids back then with horrible sleep schedules. Rest in peace Tyler, you will be missed.”
Leo Faria, Global Head of Valorant Esports at Riot Games, also posted a message following the news.
“My condolences to Tyler’s family and friends,” Faria said. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of how fragile life is. Take care of yourselves, be good to each other, and hold your loved ones close today.”
Porter competed across multiple Valorant events during his career and was regarded as one of the promising young players to come through North America’s tier-two scene before stepping away from professional play.
He returned as a stand-in at the start of 2026, playing for Winthrop University. Sym’s friend Austen Reed was also a competitive Valorant player, who played under the name “yuno”.
