Community Mourns Loss of Iconic Pokemon and FGC Broadcaster DC
The esports community has been mourning the loss of Daniel “DC” Coke Sr, a talented broadcaster that has lent his commentary to a variety of popular gaming tournaments.
Over the weekend, someone tweeted from DC’s account that he is “no longer with us.” The person close to DC said that the commentator had been struggling with depression and illness in silence “for a long time.”
Continued the emotional statement: “He did not have the heart to fight those battles any longer and has chosen to end his life.”
In response to the heartbreaking tweet, many prominent members of the esports community offered their support to DC’s family during this time.
Caster and host Philip “EE” Stewart said: “You won’t be forgotten DC, truly awful loss.”
Added Melee God Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma: “No more pain. Rest easy, Daniel.”
Others shared their memories of interacting with DC at events or broadcasting moments that had an impact on them. It was said that DC did a lot for the communities he was a part of.
Flex Esports Smash commentator Victoria “VikkiKitty” Perez said that DC is the reason she even tried to get into commentary to begin with.
“You called me into the stream room at Versus and asked me to cast top eight with you for my first time,” she recalled. “I had the time of my life and discovered something that I actually enjoyed, thanks to you. I’ll miss you.”
Despite being an iconic commentator in the Smash 4 scene and a staple of Pokemon and Smash tournaments for the past few years, DC was struggling behind-the-scenes with ALS, a motor neuron disease that causes muscles to weaken and waste away. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to control their movements.
Unfortunately, there is no known treatment to stop the ALS process. On Reddit, some Smash fans noted that people with ALS are “forced to witness [their] body completely deteriorate until the inevitable end.” Many people shared their support and sympathy for DC’s struggle, noting that they have seen their own family members struggle and eventually pass away from ALS.
Leading up to his decision to end his life, DC shared his struggles with ALS on Twitter. While going in and out of the hospital, DC was also going through a divorce with the mother of his child, DC Jr. Some tweets accused his wife of complicating the divorce process with malicious lies. He said that he couldn’t fight the situation in court because he is “completely disabled, with no use of my arms or legs.”
He tweeted on May 9: “Anyone who has ever met me and my son does not need to be convinced that I love him and would protect him with every fiber of my being. I have 15 gigabytes of memories from almost every single day of my enormous love for him.”
It seems like just yesterday that DC was commentating the Pokemon World Championship in London. The swiftness of the ALS’ progression has left fans stunned and saddened. Now, fans are wishing him no more pain and sadness after the tweet announced his passing.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!