I had a bunch of things I wanted to write about today, but then I happened to look at Twitter about 15 minutes ago and I now find myself in somewhat of a state of shock.

I’m profoundly saddened by the sudden passing of Ryan Davis, someone I never knew, or even got within 2000 miles of knowing, and yet someone who I felt could’ve been a friend.  I’d been a fan of his since the early Gamespot years, and I’d been a loyal Giant Bombcast listener since the Arrow Pointing Down days.  He was the consummate host; witty and quick, warm yet acerbic, relentlessly jovial.

Of the many reasons for Giant Bomb’s success, their decision to be a personality-driven site is the one that, ironically, makes his loss hurt that much more for their fans.  We feel like we know these guys; the podcast especially is a conversation among friends that we could easily be participating in.   And nobody was better at conveying a spirit of camaraderie than Ryan.

I’m sending all my thoughts to Ryan’s friends, family, and the entire Giant Bomb crew (and beyond).  Our community has suffered a profound loss today.