Taiwanese Man Dies After 40-hour Diablo III Marathon

The 18-year-old Taiwanese man named Chuang was found dead at an internet cafe. He had apparently been playing Diablo III for 40 hours without any food or sleep and had collapsed after the ordeal.

Chuang had checked himself into a private room in the café on the 13. An employee of the café found the man resting. When found him, Chuang managed to take a few steps before collapsing. He was pronounced dead soon after.

Blizzard released the following statement in regards to the man's death:

"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."

The police believe that "that long hours in a sedentary position created cardiovascular problems for Chuang", although an autopsy is being performed to determine the actual cause of death.

Catherine Cai is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, VG 24/7, RipTen, and The Game Fanatics. She has also worked as a lead producer for video game projects, a manager and lighting director for the stage, and a software engineer. Currently, she works as a Production Engineering Manager for Shopify.