RIP: Ryan Davis of GameSpot and Giant Bomb

Gaming website Giant Bomb has just announced the unfortunate passing of its co-founder Ryan Davis, aged 34. I admittedly didn’t know too much about Ryan, but it’s clear from the Web-wide support he’s being given, he was a big part of many gamer lives. Like a lot of us, he had a true passion for gaming. He didn’t care so much about the business of gaming, but the fun of gaming. That’s since become Giant Bomb’s modus operandi.

Giant Bomb writes: “The consolation we can feel from that is miniscule compared to the hole that Ryan’s absence will leave in our lives. That’s not a hole that is possible to fill; it’s just something that we’ll just have to get used to walking around with, and that will not happen for a long, long time.“

Ryan had recently been married, and is said to have been “uproariously happy”. We need more people like that.

When Jeff Gerstmann was unceremoniously fired from GameSpot in 2007 over advertisers threatening to pull support due to a couple of mediocre review scores, Ryan followed. The two co-founded Giant Bomb together, aiming to be unlike GameSpot – care less about the business, care more about the fun. This has been heavily appreciated by millions of gamers, and likewise, Ryan’s attitude was appreciated just the same.

RIP, Ryan. Our hearts go out to Ryan’s family and friends.

In Memoriam

Giant Bomb Readers gauge their favorite Ryan moments
Ryan’s profile at Giant Bomb
Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo recalls his kindness and warmth