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Etika NYC mural is now a Pokestop in Pokemon Go

In honor and memorial of his efforts for the Pokemon and Nintendo community, A mural to Desmond 'Etika' Amofah was made into an official Pokestop in Pokemon Go.
TJ Denzer
TJ Denzer
2

There’s no replacing a personality like Etika. The content creator had his share of issues, but many generally remember how much genuine enthusiasm he brought to the Nintendo community. After he was discovered to have committed suicide in 2019, the community came together to pay respect to one of the most uplifting voices in the audience. Now it would appear that Etika is immortalized in at least one of his favorite scenes following the inclusion of a mural in New York City dedicated to Etika as an official Pokestop in Pokemon Go.

The new Pokestop for the NYC Etika mural was discovered in the game by content creators REVERSAL, Alice Pika and NoChillElijah as posted on Twitter on February 24, 2020. Though there was a Pokestop before that was taken down, the new Pokestop seems to be official. When the Pokestop is brought up in the Pokemon Go app, it reads, “Etika Mural: Remembering the passing of Etika, JoyconBoyz forever.” Alice attributes the stop’s inclusion in the game to the efforts of supporters like REVERSAL, who campaigned heavily to feature Etika’s mural in the game for his efforts in boosting the Nintendo and Pokemon communities in New York City.

It was on June 25, 2019 that Etika was announced deceased by the NYPD following a search for him in the wake of a YouTube video in which Etika expressed suicidal intention and apologized before disappearing. Etika battled against mental illness and suicidal thoughts heavily in the time leading up to his death.

In the wake of his passing, Etika spurred a bigger conversation about mental illness, depression, and suicide prevention. His fans and members of the community he helped boost came together around the tragedy to honor Etika with various remembrances including the mural seen above.

Etika’s passing was a horrible tragedy for someone so young, but at the very least, the inclusion of the Etika mural as a Pokemon Go Pokestop is a welcome tribute in memory of the person who brought so much joy to the Nintendo community.

Senior News Editor
Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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