[NEWS] Etika: The Passing of a Legend

[Kris]

Let me just start off by saying I don't really know how to start this off properly, it's been a hard day for me so far as it is, but I'll try my best. Today Nintendo YouTuber and streamer Desmond "Etika" Amofah was confirmed to have passed away after he jumped into the East River in Brooklyn, sadly taking his own life. On June 20th Etika posted a video to his channel called "I'm sorry" in which he apologized to his fans for things he felt he'd done wrong over the past few months, the video was ultimately a suicide note and he was confirmed missing shortly after. Whether you knew him personally, watched his videos all the time or just saw his content here and there, you no doubt know the impact Etika had on the YouTube gaming community as a whole. He may not have had the biggest following but he had the biggest heart of any YouTuber I knew. My own personal journey with Etika began almost 6 years ago now when Mewtwo was first teased for Super Smash Bros. 4. Oh how the time flies, I'm almost 21 now, just 8 years younger than Etika was. He helped me through a lot of tough times over the years and inspired me and so many others. His content was a large variety of Nintendo content, Pokemon, Smash, Fire Emblem and many many more. Unfortunately it became apparent a few months ago he was suffering from mental illness, and desperately needed help. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, but the people were dirtbags to him. Sure, Etika always came off joking about things, but the harsh reality is our online personas are not an indication of our real world struggles. People could be suffering more than you know, the last thing they need is to be made a joke out of. The best you can do for anybody like this is to reach out and make sure they get the help they need. Don't ignore them, suicide is not an option you ever want to be brought up. Wherever you are Etika, I hope you're having yourself a damn good one. Please be respectful to the people mourning, and especially his family.

#JOYCONBOYZFOREVER