Mike Fahey of Kotaku, 1 of the longest-tenured writers astatine 1 of video gaming’s oldest and astir work online publications, died connected Friday. He was 49. Over 16 years, Fahey wrote with large hilarity and heavy affection for toys, snacks, elephantine robots, video games, and the affectional ties binding them each to his readership.

Fahey’s decease was confirmed Friday by his partner, Eugene Abbott. In 2018, Fahey suffered an aortic dissection, which is simply a tearing of the body’s main artery, that paralyzed him from the thorax down and forced him to usage a wheelchair. Fahey suffered different specified teardrop successful April, and helium died of an corruption related to these chronic wellness issues.

Mike Fahey joined Kotaku successful 2006, aft establishing an online beingness with comical posts astir a Pikachu plushie gone missing. “He had a Pikachu that radical kept kidnapping,” Abbott told Polygon. “People would clasp up a motion saying ‘We person your Pikachu.’ I deliberation the past clip it was seen, it was strapped to the beforehand of an 18-wheeler.”

Mike Fahey with his partner, Eugene Abbott, successful 2010. Photo: Eugene Abbott

Brian Crecente, the editor-in-chief of Kotaku from 2005 to 2011, recalled that Fahey was a commenter connected a blog helium had started anterior to Kotaku’s founding. When Crecente was named Kotaku editor, Fahey was his archetypal hire.

“The crushed I hired him, and the crushed helium continued moving there, is helium was specified a people comic guy,” Crecente said. “So galore who effort to constitute comic stuff, it comes disconnected forced, but for him, it was an innate ability. It was conscionable truthful natural. I pushed him to bash investigative worldly and longer-form writing, but I deliberation the happening helium liked astir was making radical laugh.”

Fahey climbed retired of his ammunition erstwhile Crecente hired him successful November 2006. He remained connected unit ever since. “I erstwhile again had a job, a girlfriend, and yet my ain apartment, sans roommates,” Fahey wrote. At Kotaku, Fahey became known for his appraisals of tasty treats — Snacktaku was the moving title of these posts — and for celebrating the lighter moments of video gaming culture.

Brian Crecente, Flynn DeMarco, Mike Fahey, Brian Ashcraft, and Michael McWhertor of Kotaku, ca. 2007. Photo: Brian Crecente

Fahey recovered his dependable arsenic an everyman popular civilization fan, his interests and enthusiasm spanning The Transformers, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, Madden NFL, and particularly role-playing games. In October 2009, helium published a groundbreaking recollection of his ain video games addiction portion playing Everquest, and however it broke isolated a narration with Abbott that helium would soon mend.

“Everyone would say, ‘Ha ha, you dated the feline who ignored you for video games?’” Abbott said connected Monday. She seemed to recognize that Fahey was grinding toward level 40 — which she nevertheless hated. “But determination wasn’t immoderate portion of maine that was ever like, ‘Does helium not care? Does helium emotion the video crippled more?’ I was conscionable like, ‘Bruh, hurry up.’”

Posts astir a Michael McDonald Fight Stick, oregon however to navigator an authentic Castlevania Wall Turkey were par for his workday. In 2008, his one-man campaign connected behalf of Stan Bush got “The Touch” — the powerfulness ballad of 1986’s Transformers: The Movie animated diagnostic — added to Guitar Hero 5.

In 1 of Fahey’s astir memorable, and astir uproarious, posts for Kotaku, helium was playing a video crippled successful his office, looked implicit his shoulder, and saw “a spider the size of a tiny Volkswagen” connected the ceiling overhead. He blasted it with a tin of Elmer’s CraftBond adhesive, past smashed it with a transcript of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare for Xbox One. The lawsuit is inactive stuck to the ceiling.

Fahey invited comparisons to the cliché of the big, overgrown kid, not slightest due to the fact that helium stood 6-foot-6. Abbott remembers that helium would often instrumentality from concern visits to conventions and expos with a suitcase bursting with surprises for their children. “He’d travel location with a suitcase and unfastened it up, and each the candy and toys would travel out,” they said.

“He came location from Momocon 2015 [in Atlanta] with a batch of ramune and Hi-Chew [candy],” Abbott said, “called the kids successful and opened them up connected the bed, past fell asleep, surrounded by candy.”

Polygon quality exertion Michael McWhertor, who was hired to Kotaku soon aft Fahey, had a akin recollection, covering San Diego Comic-Con together. “I came backmost to the edifice room, and determination was Fahey, sleeping connected his bed, surrounded by each the toys helium bought from the amusement floor, similar a kid connected Christmas,” helium said.

Michael Fahey is survived by Abbott and their 2 sons, Seamus and Archer, some 11. A GoFundMe run to assistance the family has been acceptable up.