The FGC has been mourning since news of Bryand “Krucial B” McIntosh’s death broke during Defend the North 2019. Krucial B attended the tournament to participate in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition and Samurai Shodown. While there, he suffered a seizure in one of the venue’s bathrooms. Krucial B died in a New York hospital on July 20 at the age of 34.
We are very saddened by the sudden passing of Bryand '@Krucial_B' McIntosh. He was a pillar in the Louisiana FGC and the community as a whole. Our deepest condolences to family and friends.
RIP Bryand. You will be missed.
— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) July 22, 2019
The news of Krucial B’s passing came as a shock to many in attendance. Viewers noted that he appeared fine when he played Joshua “SonicSol” Lindo on stream. Even so, he experienced his fatal seizure only an hour or so later.
Following his death, many friends and acquaintances took to Twitter to mourn the loss and express condolences. Several shared that he was a figurehead within Louisiana’s fighting game community. Romulus “Rome_Himself” Booker even noted Krucial B’s upbeat demeanor during what ultimately served as his final tournament set.
Speculation about Krucial B’s death
It is widely known that Krucial B’s death was the result of a seizure. However, no one has confirmed the cause of his seizure. Rumors have spread on Twitter suggesting that he died due to a heat stroke. The rumors have even led some to mistakenly believe that two players died at Defend the North: one of a seizure and one of a heat stroke.
The tournament took place in the midst of an intense heatwave. This heat was exacerbated due to faulty air conditioning in one of the venue’s rooms. In addition, players were reportedly not permitted to bring water from outside the venue (although some have refuted this claim).
Some players have wished to hold Defend the North’s tournament organization team accountable for Krucial B’s death. Others have defended the TOs, stating that the seizure was an unrelated occurrence outside of their control. Many players have claimed that there were free water stations available throughout the venue. However, others have disputed this, claiming that they had to pay for water.
So far, the only statement on behalf of Defend the North has come from its founder and CEO, Andy “Citiofbrass” Dumornay. Citiofbrass expressed the staff’s devastation over the death of Krucial B. He also said that Defend the North’s staff would do anything possible to assist the investigation into his death.
