Colin Kroll, the CEO and co-founder of HQ Trivia, the live mobile app/game show where contestants can win real money, was found dead in his New York apartment earlier today at the age of 34.

According to reports, Kroll was found after his girlfriend asked police to perform a wellness check on the tech entrepreneur, who also co-founded the video app Vine in the days before HQ Trivia. Kroll was declared dead when police arrived at the scene. An official cause of death has yet to be determined, but reports online indicate that Kroll likely died from a drug overdose.

Prior to his death, it seemed as though HQ Trivia and the company behind it, Intermedia Labs, was facing some difficulties. HQ Trivia has significantly waned in popularity since its heyday a year ago, and while it still has celebrity guests like The Rock on occasion, it has failed to recapture the sizable audience it once had. Previously one of the most successful apps on the App Store, HQ Trivia is no longer even in the Top 100 free apps.

How Kroll's death will impact HQ Trivia moving forward remains unclear. Despite its significantly smaller audience, the game show has remained active, hosting live trivia virtually every single night. Perhaps as a way to make up for its dwindling audience, it also introduced some new monetization options a few months ago, giving players the option to purchase extra lives, and in turn increasing their chances of winning some cash.

It will be interesting to see if HQ Trivia hosts a game tonight or not, and if it does, if Kroll's death will be acknowledged by the on-screen hosts. It seems like it would be in good taste for HQ Trivia to take a break to recognize the passing of its CEO and co-founder, but it's possible those running the game may operate under the "show must go on" mentality.

Source: CNN