Etika

Not to be confused with Ethika.
Etika
Desmond Amofah pictured in May 2019 sitting in a gaming chair, looking and smiling at the camera
Amofah in May 2019
Personal information
Born
Desmond Daniel Amofah

(1990-05-12)May 12, 1990
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Diedc. June 19, 2019(2019-06-19) (aged 29)
East River, New York City, U.S.
Other names
  • Iceman
  • Guile-kun
Occupations
PartnerChristine Cardona (2011–2017)
Parent
Websiteetikaworldnetwork.com
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2006–2019
Genres
Subscribers1.3 million (combined)[‡ 1]
Total views146 million (combined)[‡ 1]
100,000 subscribers2015[a]

Desmond Daniel Amofah (May 12, 1990 – c. June 19, 2019), known online as Etika, was an American YouTuber and live streamer. Amofah became known online for his enthusiastic reactions to Super Smash Bros. character trailers and Nintendo Direct presentations and for playing and reacting to various games. He resided in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, and his father is the Ghanaian politician Owuraku Amofah.

Starting his online career in 2007, Amofah created his main YouTube channel, "EWNetwork" (Etika World Network), in 2012. His fanbase was dubbed the "JOYCONBOYZ" in reference to the Nintendo Switch controller, the Joy-Con. He garnered popularity following the release of Super Smash Bros. 4, primarily stemming from his reaction videos of news surrounding the game. His content consisted of playthroughs of various video games, reaction videos, and pre-recorded material. Across his multiple YouTube channels, he amassed over 1 million subscribers and 146 million views.

Between October 2018 and May 2019, Amofah demonstrated signs of mental distress, threatening to commit suicide on multiple occasions, and was hospitalized several times. During this period, Amofah uploaded pornography to the EWNetwork channel, resulting in its termination; he then posted statements on social media alluding to suicide. After apologizing, Amofah created another channel, "EtikaFRFX", which was terminated for identical reasons. He proceeded to display erratic behavior publicly, including posting cryptic messages online and streaming himself being detained by the police.

Amofah was reported missing on June 20, 2019, after an apologetic video was uploaded to his "TR1Iceman" channel.[b] After recovering his body from the East River near the Manhattan Bridge, officials confirmed Amofah's death on June 25, finding it to be a suicide by drowning. Amofah's death was met with expressions of shock and grief by fans and fellow YouTubers, with some observers commenting that the signs of Amofah's mental deterioration were either dismissed or ignored.[3][4][5] Commemorations were held to honor Amofah's career as a gaming personality, including fan-made memorials and murals.


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  1. ^ Jacobo, Julia (June 26, 2019). "YouTube gaming personality Desmond 'Etika' Amofah's died by suicide, officials say". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  2. ^ Romine, Taylor; Andone, Dakin (June 23, 2019). "Missing YouTuber Etika's belongings recovered on the Manhattan Bridge, police sources say". CNN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (July 2, 2019). "Too many people took Etika's mental health struggles as a joke". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  4. ^ Keiles, Jamie Lauren (December 23, 2019). "Etika, a Charismatic YouTuber Who Struggled Through His Online Fame". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Rosenblatt, Kalhan (June 26, 2019). "Etika was a larger-than-life YouTube star. Researchers are unsure how that affected his mental health". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.