RIP Billy from The Game Chasers
Goodbye to a Legend
About a week ago from the time this blog entry was posted, Billy from The Game Chasers passed away due to a brain tumor. Even though I’ve never spoke to or interacted with Billy, I’m still devastated by the loss.
I’ve been a huge fan of The Game Chasers since 2012 and always loved the silly antics and lengths they would go to find games. As an avid collector myself, I easily related to the show as it would remind me of all the times I would search for good game deals at conventions and stores. The Game Chasers was quite different than most gaming channels as so much of the show required Billy and Jay to go outside and record their adventures. They would get into funny hijinks and every episode showed the extreme lengths they would go to collect games.
The first Game Chasers Episode.
However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, the show had to (understandably) slow down, but Billy and Jay still posted non game chasing videos to keep their channel going.
When the pandemic was coming to an end, Billy released one of my absolute favorite episodes on the channel where he was driving to SoCal Retro Gaming Expo from Texas. When he was in Arizona, he stumbled upon an abandoned video rental store that was derelict and filled with all types of nasty stuff. However, he found a gold mine of lost games and videos and was able to take some back with him. He was even willing to contact the Arizona Chamber of Commerce see if he could keep the games legally and this was one of the best episodes that really shows the lengths Billy went to collect games.
The Game Chasers Movie: Adventures in Game Chasing
Adventures in Game Chasing Trailer.
When The Game Chasers posted their kickstarter for their movie: Adventures in Game Chasing, I immediately backed it. I thought the movie was hilarious with alot of the best bits of the show tuned to 100x along with a silly Scooby Doo type plot revolving around Billy’s childhood NES. I don’t wanna give too much away, but if you love the show, you’ll love the movie (Game Dave plays a hilarious villainous Jim Carrey).
Converting a YouTube show into movie format is an incredibly difficult task and just like the AVGN movie, it was a miracle that Billy and Jay were able to pull it off. Adventures in Game Chasing is a bit more grounded in it’s scope than the AVGN movie, but it does take things a bit more over the top than The Game Chasers YouTube videos to create a silly narrative with funny characters.
Billy, Jay, and the crew were also kind enough to sign my Blu-Ray which they sent to all the backers. This will definitely be something I will cherish forever.
Farewell to an old Friend..
In September of 2025, Billy posted a video where he was in the ER with a brain tumor. I don’t want to embed the video as it feels depressing to watch it. He underwent surgery and was optimistic that he would be ok. Sadly, there were complications and he passed away on September 19, 2025. Joe from GameSack said that Billy went down fighting as he was still trying to regain his motor skills after the surgery.
The news of Billy’s passing hit me pretty hard as Billy looked like a healthy and fit guy and a brain tumor was the last thing anyone would have expected to happen to him. Billy was in his 40’s and was tad older than me as I’m also in my 40’s. I recently had a health scare months ago that made me change my diet and lifestyle where I’m eating healthier and exercising more regularly.
However, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and every day, we wake up and play the lottery on whether of not we will be fine or get hit with a health problem. This should be a sign that you should always take care of your health no matter what.
Billy leaves behind a wife, a son, and thousands of fans who loved him and his work. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Billy and how he’s very friendly, goofy, and personable at conventions and gatherings. I really regret not being able to meet him now.
Even though I’ve never spoken to or interacted with Billy, I felt like I lost a friend who I’ve been watching since 2012. The future of The Game Chasers is uncertain, but we’ll always remember the hard work Billy put into the show behind and in front of the camera and his legacy will always live on as we search for games to collect.
My sincere condolences to Billy’s family and friends.
If you want to support The Game Chasers, make sure to subscribe to their YouTube Channel and watch all of the past episodes and videos. You can also grab a Blu-Ray copy of their movie “Adventures in Game Chasing” from their store. The movie is also free to watch on Tubi.
