“Minecraft” has immortalized one of the most prominent members of its community with a moving tribute.
When players start the game, they typically see a splash image of pixelated “Minecraft” protagonists running through a field and a pig on a high ledge overlooking the stage. But in recent days, players have noticed that the pig that greets them now boasts a gold crown.
The decked pig is a nod to late YouTube star Technoblade and his online avatar, which was a sword-wielding pig that wore a jeweled crown and a red fur-trimmed coat fit for royalty. Technoblade, 23, died of cancer on Thursday, prompting an outpouring of tributes from the “Minecraft” communities and gamers.
“Minecraft” included the subtle tribute in the launch page for its Java edition of the game.
The popular video game, where players build tools and create in a pixelated world, previously graced Technoblade on social media following his death.
“We tried to find the words, but all of us here in Minecraft are heartbroken by the loss of Technoblade,” said the official Twitter account published Thursday. “He meant so much to our community and brought so much joy.”
Technoblade was known for his “Minecraft” videos, which earned him 13 million YouTube subscribers and 3.8 million Twitter followers. His YouTube subscriber count soared from 11 million in the days following his death.
In a moving video, which has since garnered nearly 59 million views on YouTube, Technoblade’s father announced his son’s death and read aloud the content creator’s last words to his fans.
“If I had 100 more lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every time because these are the happiest years of my life,” his farewell said.
“I hope you enjoyed my content and I made some of you laugh and I hope you all continue to live long, prosperous and happy lives because I love you. Technoblade released.
