Across French Counter-Strike, players and fans are mourning Malek “maleK” Bennouioua, the former competitor and content creator who has died at 35. Known online as MalekCSGO, he reached thousands through his videos and streams. Read on for his career and the tributes from those who knew him.
A statement published on maleK’s X account on September 28, 2026, asked the community to respect his family’s privacy. It urged readers to avoid spreading rumors, false information or speculation, while thanking everyone who had sent messages of support and affection.
The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Its focus was on protecting his loved ones during an extremely difficult time.
maleK began playing Counter-Strike: Source in 2011 before becoming a familiar name in France’s domestic CS scene. With beGenius, his team earned top-four finishes at Gamers Assembly 2015 and the DreamHack Tours qualifying tournament.
On March 1, 2017, Epsilon announced a French squad led by maleK alongside Audric “JACKZ” Jug, Valentin “VKLL” Bartolomei, Théo “LoWkii” Téchené and Léo “Kan4” Intronati.
For maleK, the move offered a chance to compete full-time. He described the project as a dream becoming reality, with salaries, a gaming house and long-term contracts providing the conditions to pursue professional play.
Streaming was already part of maleK’s life during his playing career. Coverage of his Epsilon signing described him as an established streamer, years before content creation became his main occupation.
His output included tutorials, coaching, match analysis and Counter-Strike news, giving French-speaking viewers practical ways to learn the game and follow its competitive scene.
By the time his death was reported, his main YouTube channel had more than 130,000 subscribers, while approximately 155,000 people followed him on Twitch.
“Rest in peace, maleK,” Dan “apEX” Madesclaire wrote. Neityu, KRL and Ozstrik3r were also among the French Counter-Strike figures who paid tribute.
Richard “shox” Papillon shared a more personal remembrance: “I have no words, I can’t believe it.”
He recalled knowing maleK for 20 years, from PxL events to a restaurant visit together roughly a year earlier. His message also remembered maleK as a father and expressed condolences to his family.
Alongside those memories, shox urged people struggling emotionally to reach out rather than remain alone, expressing his sorrow that he had not known maleK needed help.
Contacts
An analyst, amateur commentator, and author of platform reviews and guides on CSSpot. In his articles, Mikhail draws on his many years of experience watching and analyzing professional-level games.
