July 16th, 2024. A Farewell to Elmaxo
And yet another TF2ber bites the dust...
Elmaxo is an Australian Youtuber who makes videos primarily about Team Fortress 2, a 2007 multiplayer first person shooter by Valve. The first upload on his channel dates back to July 15th, 2021. Fittingly enough, on July 15th, 2024, he announced his retirement from this Youtube channel specifically.
Team Fortress 2 is very odd, because it has managed to cultivate a surprisingly large community on Youtube specifically. There are many channels dedicated to analyzing the game and its aspects, like class design, weapon deep dives, and even going into the code. The game's community continues onward, despite the fact that the game has not received a major content update since 2018. The game seems almost immortal, like Doom(1993) or Super Smash Bros Melee.
Youtube is the home of Team Fortress 2. I personally watch many videos, by creators like Solarlight, Uncle Dane, Shounic, HintShot, and of course, Elmaxo. Even to this day, many of them continue to deliver high quality videos with novel topics and perspectives. I don't play the game much anymore, but this is a space that I enjoy watching still. The game is just so unique, so special, so ahead of its time.
My own anecdote connecting me to one of his videos was when I was in Chicago for an event. The night before, I couldn't sleep. Chicago was cold as hell, and I was just walking the streets, bundled up as thick as I could, listening to Elmaxo's newest video about trying to get 10k kills as Pyro in a week. I stepped into a Chinese skewer joint, which was open past midnight, and awkwardly ordered a bunch of skewers to devour while I watched. I would get Covid later that weekend, so thanks, Elmaxo.
In all seriousness, it's a shame to see someone as talented as Elmaxo go, but it's understandable. Team Fortress 2 is a trap for Youtubers. It draws many loyal viewers, and there is a oddly sizable audience. But you will be doomed to continue to make Team Fortress 2 content until the end of time. And no game is meant to endure like that, especially if the updates have stopped coming. Any Team Fortress 2 Youtuber that attempted to branch out has seen their expected incoming views wither away. They either bite the bullet and start from scratch, or stick with the game forever, even if they are horribly burnt out.
It seems like Elmaxo will continue to make video content or stream, but on another channel, about other topics. "Dropping out of university to pursue YouTube did restrict my ability to actually connect with other people and I definitely want to invest more time into this part of my life moving forward." As someone who experienced something similar(with much, much less to show for it), I deeply empathize.
Fly free, Elmaxo. Godspeed to wherever you want to go next.