In-game funerals and memorials are nothing new to MMORPG players. It’s an experience that no one wants to go through, but for many of us, these rituals can provide some closure after a trusted friend has passed on. Relationships we build in-game are just as impactful on most of us as those we build outside the confines of a digital world. The grief we feel is real, because the communities we form are, themselves, truly real.
Community is the lifeblood of these games, from MMORPGs to any multiplayer circle. The bonds we form with those we spend our limited time with matter - and it’s one of the most powerful draws that bring players like myself going back to the same games I’ve played for over a decade.
For me, and many like me, the most important letter in the acronym that adorns the top of this page is the second "M" - Multiplayer. Sure, you can solo many of these games nowadays, but you lose something in the process by doing so.
The human element, that draw for interaction and friendship, overcoming obstacles together - creating memories: these are all a crucial part of the puzzle in any multiplayer setting. This is as true for online games as offline events.
While many gamers may wait to commemorate a friend till after they are gone, the Las Vegas FGC decided that waiting would be too late to let one of their own know how much he means to them.
Setting The Stage
While thinking about this article, I was reminded of a conversation I had with CGMag’s Dayna Eileen about the Cyno Vigil itself. At the in-person event in Reykjavik, there was a small stall set up commemorating the Cyno Vigil for capsuleers who are sadly no longer with us. Seeing a Cyno Vigil proceed in-game and hearing the poem that players recite as part of the ritual is always a touching moment, but seeing it in person gave me, and others, a whole new set of emotions.
Dayna was touched as we spoke about the ritual, moved by the show of compassion and love for those who were no longer with us. I had this vivid memory come back to me while at the HyperX Arena here in Las Vegas amid an event designed to commemorate and celebrate one of the Vegas FGC’s own and a good friend of mine, Joe “LVStylo” Chiaramonte.
Joe has been open on social media about his health struggles. As someone who was dealing with a kidney disease that required a transplant, Stylo revealed earlier this year that he was no longer a viable transplant candidate, with hospice care as the only option to ease into what is effectively end-of-life care.
It was crushing news for those of us who are lucky to call him friend, but exponentially so for his wife, Katie, who proudly proclaims herself “MrsStylo” on social media.
Joe hasn’t let this slow him down, though. After the announcement was made, he participated in the Evolution Championship Series here in Las Vegas in multiple games, taking home a top 50 spot in GranBlue Fantasy Versus and repping himself well in many tournaments despite the health problems nagging him the whole way.
Since Joe went public with his diagnosis, those who call themselves part of the local fighting game community home have reached out with support - and one of them just happens to be the Director Esports at Allied Esports, the operator of the HyperX Arena inside the Luxor.
“We’ve come to be big fans of his, and he of us, and we felt it was important to do something special for him,” Kevin Forsstrom tells me via a Discord interview this week. Knockdown, the weekly FGC event that takes over the HyperX Arena each Friday, was turned into a special LVStylo edition, celebrating Stylo’s influence in the local FGC. Kevin mentions part of the goal was for the event to feel like neither pity nor exposing his business on such a public stage, but rather a celebration of Joe and his impact on the local scene.
Working in secret with Joe’s wife, Katie, the folks at the HyperX arena set up the special event, highlighting his favorite FGC games, while inviting members of the local FGC to come out and celebrate Joe. During the event, the arena that has seen everything from an Elder Scrolls Online reveal event to the latest Mark Wahlberg movie, was emblazoned with memories of Joe’s time competing, pictures of him and his wife, and more. It was a night all about Stylo and his impact on the community he loves.
So, on December 22nd, the Vegas FGC showed up in force. The arena was full of players who either knew Joe personally or knew of Joe in their time going against him during locals and competitions going back to the old Gameworks and even Press Start Gaming Center days, a now-defunct LAN center that was instrumental in helping to maintain and grow the grassroots offline multiplayer scene here in town.
I’ve never been to the HyperX during a normal locals event, only going when there is something for work happening, like the ESO reveal, or the Mr Beast/Ninja event last year. However, thanks to some finagling, I was able to attend this one to support my friend and the community love was felt throughout the entire venue. People who I hadn’t seen in years were there, supporting Joe and Katie and taking in the competition - because, of course, the FGC wasn’t going to get together and not compete.
Joe tells me as we left the venue that night that there were even people with complicated histories - the type of history that would keep them apart, restraining order-style - who showed up and set their differences aside to support him.
On the main stage practically the whole night, Stylo competed in Street Fighter 6, Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, and Killer Instinct, which the latter community makes up much of our core friend group. In fact, according to Katie, the event was actually postponed because some of the LVKI community members weren’t going to be in town that weekend, and it was important that they be available for this.
Multiplayer is truly the best
One crucial aspect of any multiplayer game, whether we’re talking a simple co-op experience or an expansive MMO, is the quality of the experience partially hinges on the quality of the people you’re gaming with. We keep returning to older MMOs and other multiplayer experiences not just because we enjoy the worlds but because the community and relationships we’ve built are important.
Anyone who says that you cannot forge lasting relationships through a computer screen is more out of touch in today’s society than ever before.
The same can easily be said of offline events as well. Familiar faces truly help make or break a community scene; I would daresay more than any game itself. Sure, having fun games - and games people want to play - available at tournament venues or offline gaming centers is important. Still, I can’t remember the last time I went to a friend gathering just because we might crack open some Soul Calibur VI. People don’t go to BlizzCon or EVE Fanfest just because they can potentially play the games they love there - these events are popular because of the social interactions we create and the chance to see each other in person.
EVE Fanfest reminds me a lot of EVO, in a way. My favorite experiences aren’t simply watching the tournaments and cheering on my favorite players - that’s part of it for sure. But it’s the evenings out with friends who I’ve spent the day cheering on, I’ve spent my time excitedly talking about the next update to our shared game, and just the camaraderie of being around the people who make my time in game much, much better.
That was on full display during the LVStylo event at the HyperX Arena. Kevin’s team pulled off an event that felt like a celebration of not just Joe himself but the local FGC community at large. The coming together to take the stressors of the outside world and leave them at the RGB-laden door for a few hours and just enjoy a few laughs with friends over a round or two of Granblue or Killer Instinct - there is just nothing like it.
Multiplayer makes games better - full stop. And it’s the primary driver for many of us to continue to play these games - the relationships we build rather than the mechanics we obtain mastery over.
The Home Stretch
One of the very real aspects many of us who attended the special Knockdown event had to contend with was the idea of a goodbye. For some of us, denial was still at the forefront of our minds. The event was as much for Joe and Katie to feel just how important the two of them are for the scene, but also to provide some closure for those friends for whom this could be the last time they see Stylo.
I know for me, despite knowing about Joe’s condition for months, it really struck me in that moment that this was happening. It was clarity that came through a way that encapsulates our friendship - through the roundhouse kicks and combo breakers of fighting games. This was the first time since I first heard about Joe’s diagnosis that it felt real - despite seeing him slowly slip over the last few months.
Tonight was incredible. I am so so happy Joe was able to see the impact he has had on the Vegas FGC and see so many people come together to say goodbye. He’s truly one of a kind and I’m glad everyone came out, showed their support, and got the chance to say how much he means pic.twitter.com/G03lfBU1bZ
— MrsStylo?? (@Mrs_Stylo53) December 23, 2023
It was emotional, yet the night still had an air of positivity. No one was making the tournament easy on Joe; no one was letting him win simply because it was his night - the ultimate sign of respect for someone who personifies the competitive spirit of the LVFGC.
It was also an event that could be used to do some good - raising money for Katie, who, at any moment, will be left with some very, very heavy financial decisions to make. Kevin floated the idea of a GoFundMe page for Katie, something that she set up to raise some funds to help with the fallout for what is to come.
As the writing of this piece, the GoFundMe page has hit over its $3,000 goal, thanks to the generosity of the local scene.
Chatting with Joe and Katie after the event, they had nothing but warm feelings and gratitude for all who showed up to support them.
“It was really heartwarming and amazing to see so many people come together just to say goodbye - some that I haven’t seen in years,” Joe tells me through a Twitter DM. “To be able to feel good enough to play (even though by the end of the night and the next day I was wiped out) made me happy as well. And just the fact that Katie, Kevin, and the other TOs and HyperX crew set all this up, and I didn’t know about any of it, made me very emotional.
“After the event I cried, just tears of joy knowing that when I do pass [I] was loved and adored for what I brought and did for the community.”
Katie had similar feelings, saying that “seeing everyone come out and support him one last time, it was the best goodbye we could have asked for.”
As I said at the top, the idea of a gaming community commemorating someone that they hold dear is nothing new. We hold vigils in-game for not just our friends but prominent players and those who are part of the universe that make up our games. Yet one thing they all have in common is they are usually held after the end of the road.
This felt inherently different. This was letting one of our own know just how much he meant to us before it was too late. Sure, we'll remember Joe fondly when the time comes, but this was a chance to not only say goodbye, but let this pillar of the local multiplayer tournament scene know how much he impacted our lives - from fast friends to cross-screen rival.
It was also a very real and stark reminder that this is a path that we all must take at some point. To quote Movie Gandalf, “The journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take.”
Don’t drop your combos wherever you end up, Stylo. I’ll be sure not to drop mine next we meet.
