Desmond “Etika” Amofah, and Suicide.

I never thought I would again talk about yet another loss of yet another life. The loss of WOWAKA, due to Acute Heart Failure has left a scar in the hearts of so many in this community and fanbase of so few, but Etika taking his own life has left a greater scar on a greater scale, to a greater amount of people. This may ultimately be the time to talk about Suicide.

Etika may not be an artist, or a developer, but he is amongst many fans, and gamers, When you see collectives of exuberant reactions to Nintendo Direct presentations, Smash Bros. fighter reveals, E3, essentially anything regarding an announcement, you will see him. I always will find his constant use of the “N-word” jarring, his pre-release feelings about Sonic Mania being a failure, his alleged possession of a Nintendo Switch, when the system was just revealed, or his “intimate feelings” about female game characters, just as so. He’s no Ninja, PewDiePie or Boogie2988, but he is amongst that sea of people who stream their gameplay and reactions. (I don’t know what I am saying)

To give you the story how Etika committed suicide, it started with a video on June 19th with the man walking the New York streets, apologizing for his ‘behavior’ and confirming about him having a mental illness. He also talks about how social media has created a negative force in his life, stating “It can give you an image of what you want your life to be and get blown completely out of proportion, Unfortunately, it consumed me.” A body was then found in the East River, and his belongings like his own Nintendo Switch were found on the Manhattan Bridge. 6 days later and the body was tragically confirmed to be his.

This tragedy has obviously brought up the discussion of coping with mental illness, and to try to find that light at the end of the tunnel, regardless of the personal turmoil. On the topic; Whenever life’s traffic jams, road hogs, or occasional tailgaters get in your way on that drive of life, always press on and find a way around it all and don’t give up on that destination. (that’s honestly the best I can come up with) All and all whenEVER you find yourself in a situation like this; GET HELP, ASK FOR HELP.

Here’s a video from E! News that is already top trending, featuring reactions from other YouTubers.


And this heartfelt, teary-eyed word from Alex Olney of Nintendo Life, with links in that video’s description to Smaritans USA, and other organizations.


The article by Damien McFerren from NintendoLife about the current issue: (where I first heard about it) https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/06/police_confirm_that_youtuber_desmond_etika_amofah_has_died