YouTube Star Etika’s Brooklyn Memorial is Now a PokeStop

The death of YouTube star Desmond “Etika” Amofah had a major impact on a number of his viewers. In Brooklyn, fans painted a large mural of Etika, but they wanted to take it one step further. Etika was a huge Nintendo and Pokemon fan, and created a number of videos centered around the games. In order to pay tribute, fans began petitioning Niantic to make the mural a PokeStop in Pokemon Go, as part of the company’s Wayfinder program. Their efforts have paid off, as Niantic made the mural a PokeStop in the game, complete with a blurb about the YouTube star.

As far as tributes go, this one seems rather fitting. Nintendo and Pokemon clearly had a large impact on Etika’s life. Etika’s over-the-top reactions to Nintendo Direct revelations provided some of the most memorable moments in his YouTube videos, and his followers were often referred to as “Joy-Con Boyz.” The PokeStop’s description references that nickname.

It’s hard to overstate the positive impact gaming has had on so many lives. While the industry has long been a scapegoat for negative societal issues, the truth is that video games have been bringing people together for a very long time. Etika’s videos clearly did just that for so many people, and that’s the reason the memorial, and its corresponding PokeStop, now exist.

PokeStops have been a passion project for many Pokemon Go players. Last year, developer Niantic released an update for the game, allowing players over level 40 to recommend changes to existing PokeStops, or newlocations altogether, and that’s how the Etika PokeStop came to be. Twitter user @Reversalx7 started the push in November, leading to a number of fans recommending the site to Niantic. Fans can find the Etika mural/PokeStop at 1280 Myrtle Ave in Brooklyn, NY.

Were you a fan of Etika’s YouTube videos? What do you think about the PokeStop tribute? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!