Gustavo “Gus” Rodríguez, the most famous gaming journalist in Latin America who was responsible for introducing and spreading a passionate love for video games to millions of people, has died. He passed away on April 10, 2020, at the age of 59.
The screenwriter, producer, and beloved gamer had announced in Oct. 2019 that he had acquired a serious lung illness.
“To all my followers, or, I want to say, friends: I appreciate that you are all attentive to my health. A lung illness has been relentlessly attacking me and has made me lose much weight. It has not gone away, but I am fighting it and I will win. Thank you for your concerns. I love you,” he tweeted. His many fans flooded the tweet with encouragement, love, and support.
A todos mis followers, o sea, quiero decir amigos:
Les agradezco que estén atentos de mi salud.
Una enfermedad pulmonar me atacó repentinamente y me hizo adelgazar mucho, todavía no se va pero ahora sí ya le estoy haciendo frente y le ganaré.
Gracias por su preocupaciónLos amo
— Gus Яodríguez (@Elgusrodriguez) October 24, 2019
The news of his passing was first posted by the famous actor, comedian, and filmmaker Eugenio Derbez on the night of April 10. On Instagram, he uploaded a picture of the two with the caption:
One of my greatest friends and life partners has died. He was my accomplice, my friend, my brother. He was the creator of Armando Hoyos, among many other things. Gus was there for everything during the start of my career. Without him and his talent, I wouldn’t be who I am today. A genius of language and creativity, but above everything, a marvelous human being. It’s one of those losses that hurts. The world will miss you.
The news of Rodríguez’s passing was officially posted on his Instagram on the morning of April 11.
“I will be a firefly,” reads the caption. “I want my ashes to be in a Sanctuary of Fireflies, in a natural reserve located in the town of Nanacamilpa in Tlaxcala in the state of Mexico. If you would like to see me, you will be able to see me from May 27th until the end of June… or at any night in your imagination. I will light the path for those who love me. I will shine when I want to and when I see that I am needed, not when it is demanded or I am desperately appealed to. My light will not always be visible, but when it is allowed to be seen, it will be a reminder that you have seen me, that I saw you, and that you are in my thoughts for eternity. I will be a firefly.”
Gus Rodríguez was a host of Nintendomanía, Mexico’s breakthrough video game show during the 90s. For almost five years, the show led by Rodríguez served as the introduction to gaming for millions of people across Latin America. He was also one of the founders and main editors of Club Nintendo México, Nintendo’s official Latin American magazine and what used to be the most popular gaming magazine in the region. It ran over 200 issues by the end of its publication in February 2019. Most recently, he was the host of programs like Retro Game and Game-Volution, which aired on the Latin-American television channel BitMe.
While he didn’t work directly for Nintendo, many consider him to be the face of the company in Latin America due to his influence and love of the developer and its games.
“Remember when [the] internet became a thing and you went looking for cheats and guides? Before that, Gus was the source for millions of kids who [would] wake up early in the weekends to see his show or that waited for the monthly magazine,” writes a fan in a thread on the Nintendo subreddit, which has over 2,600 upvotes as of the writing of this article. “Influencer and role model for lots of gamers, he will missed. RIP.” There are numerous threads across different gaming-adjacent subreddits mourning his loss. Twitter, Instagram, and other social platforms are filled with an outpouring of love and mourning for the gaming icon.
While I’m not Mexican and didn’t grow up knowing of Rodríguez’s many prolific endeavors, I am descended from Latin-America. And, as a Latina-American, to see how deeply he has affected so many lives and instilled a powerful love for the medium is nothing short of admirable and inspiring. I am grateful for figures like him who have come before me and worked so hard to spearhead a recognition for video games and the best things they are capable of — especially for underrepresented demographics such as Latinx people. Thank you for all you did, Gus Rodríguez, and may you rest in peace.
Rodríguez’s son, Gustavo Javier Rodríguez, tweeted, “Thank you for everything, dad. I will miss you so much. You know you were always my greatest idol.”
Gracias por todo pá, te voy a extrañar mucho. Sabes que siempre fuiste mi mayor ídolo pic.twitter.com/aYt2AOG3bP
— Javier Rodriguez (@GRA10) April 11, 2020
