Kotaku Veteran Journalist, Mike Fahey, Has Passed

Let me start off by saying we’ve lost a giant, both literally (he was 6 foot 6) and figuratively, in the video game journalism world. Mike Fahey, 16 year veteran journalist for Kotaku, has passed. He was 49. I only briefly met Mike in passing at Momocon in 2015 when he was helping with the Indie Game Awards ceremony. He was the kind of guy that could strike up a conversation with anyone and could find common interests to talk about. I know there are thousands, if not millions, of fans out there who will miss him. 

In 2018 he suffered an aortic dissection, a serious condition where a tear occurs in the inner layer of the aorta, the main artery of the body. This caused paralysis from the chest down and confined him to a wheelchair. He was bound and determined to get back to business as usual, writing for Kotaku, but back in April 2022 he unfortunately suffered from an additional tear of the aorta and had been valiantly fighting since then. Unfortunately his body never recovered from this round. 

When I saw news of his passing I immediately went over to Kotaku, knowing that they would have the best eulogy for him, and they didn’t disappoint. Current and former Kotaku staff, friends from the industry, and more had amazing words and thoughts to say about him. I personally loved what his partner, Eugene, said about him when it came to conventions

“He would often return from business visits to conventions and expos carrying a suitcase bursting with surprises for their children. He’d come home with a suitcase and open it up, and all the candy and toys would come out.”

He was a person that there should be more of in this world, and let me say again he is and will forever be missed. For those with the capacity to help, there is a GoFundMe that has been setup in his honor to support Eugene and their two sons, Seamus (11) and Archer (11).