Warning: This article contains mentions of mental health crises and suicide. Please read at your discretion.
Today, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out for fans to devour. It has received sky-high praise, and, while it is something joyful, others in the Nintendo fan community are reminded of one of their own who is not around to experience it.
For those unaware, in addition to today being the release date for the game, it is also what would have been Desmond Daniel Amofah’s — or “Etika’s” — 33rd birthday. Under his Etika handle, Amofah became a notable YouTuber and online streamer who became popular due to his energetic reactions to Nintendo Direct presentations and Super Smash Bros. character reveals. He accumulated more than one million subscribers before experiencing a mental wellness decline in 2018. In 2019, it progressed to the point where he ultimately took his own life and, while gone now, he is certainly not forgotten by anyone in the know.
Elsewhere in the discourse, different fans of the departed streamer are making fan art of him and Link standing together. Another Twitter user says it is eerie the game is releasing on his birthday, and one of the last things Etika reacted to before his death was the initial news of the game being revealed, and, for another, they better have video games in the afterlife in order for him to be happy.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.