It’s always heart breaking when you hear that someone has suffered an insurmountable loss. One that doesn’t just break your spirit, but breaks you as a person. Personally, I’ve never been one to suffer a loss like Halo fan and recognized community member Adam Bartels (or thecrzedspartan as he’s known in the Halo community) lost his daughters in a tragic electrical fire. Both he and his wife have come through all odds to attempt putting their lives back together and I’m sure they will continue to do so. Thanks to the Halo Community, Adam and his Wife Rebecca were able to raised almost 30,000 USD through their GoFundMe page. Mr. and Mrs. Bartel, from myself, and the entire team of B.A.T.G.R. our hearts go out to you and we feel for you the best we can. We pray that you two find some peace, and my your daughters rest in peace among the stars.
For those that read the title know that Halo 5 developer 343 Industries is now paying tribute to Adam and his daughters in its own way, with an in-game update containing an emblem and an added feature in an upcoming map. Here’s the announcement about the update in full:
“Last month we learned about a community member’s tragic loss. Adam (aka thecrzedspartan) and his wife Rebecca lost their daughters Trinity and Lena when their lives were claimed by an electrical fire in their family home. As a father, I can only imagine the heartache and pain caused by this loss. In the days following the tragedy, it was inspiring to see the Halo community come together to support Adam and Rebecca in a variety of ways.
In honor of Adam’s family and his daughters, Trinity and Lena, we’ve created the Spartans Never Walk Alone pack. This pack contains the True Light emblem, which is named after the first initial of each of his daughters’ names, and is the first animated emblem to come to Halo 5. All players will receive this pack as part of this month’s free update.
As well we have included a special feature in our new Arena map, Torque. As players look up and scan the stars above, the names Trinity and Lena will be visible in the night sky. These are but small gestures meant to honor Adam’s daughters, ensuring that their memories are always close at hand within the universe he loves.”
The focus for this update is one that is important more-so than it is for game improvements. 343 Studio’s is using this time to help a fan cope with his loss and help him and his wife find some comfort in a tremendous way. This, however, is not the first time that the industry has done such notions for their fans, but 343 is keeping the gestures alive.
[Source: Halowaypoint]
Our Take:
I have lost friends and family, but never my own flesh and blood. To some extent, I can only imagine the pain that the Bartel’s are going through with their tragic losses. As someone that is a part of the Halo Community, Mr. and Mrs. Bartel my heart goes out to you. You have my deepest condolences for your loss.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.