During the upcoming ESL One Hamburg taking place from the 26-28th of October, titan of the gaming industry John “Totalbiscuit” Bain is set to be inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame. He will be the first non-pro gamer to be awarded this recognition.
For many years Totalbiscuit was a bastion of critical thinking and consumer advocacy in the gaming industry. He tragically lost his battle with cancer earlier this year, and left behind his wife Genna and his step-son. Even when it became clear his cancer would be terminal he still continued to critique and talk about games until a mere few months before his death, when it became impossible to do so.
Totalbiscuit was well known for his popular Youtube first impressions series “WTF is…” where he gave his first impressions on games in great detail. From options menus to enemy AI and combat mechanics to story, he was known in his critiques of games to be brutally honest in a way that made his opinion well trusted throughout the games industry. Additionally, Totalbiscuit was the host of “The Co-Optional Podcast,” a weekly show where, he, Dodger, and Jesse Cox, and a special guest discussed gaming news, new releases, and just general banter.
He was also quite popular for his shoutcasting career, mainly Starcraft 2, where he hosted and casted many events, including the SHOUTcraft invitational. He also ran the Starcraft pro team Axiom with the help of his wife Genna. While he was never a competitive player he left an impact on many people throughout the various areas of the gaming and esports industry that he was a part of.
In cases of well known figures dying often much is said about their legacy. There comes this notion that “Their legacy will live on.” Sometimes these are empty words, but not in the case of Totalbiscuit. His career and his character left a lasting mark on the industry and the people around him. His induction into the Hall of Fame as the first non-pro speaks to that legacy.
