Games are often seen as an escape from reality, but sometimes reality seeps in. At those times, familiar opening screens, habitual character selection interfaces, or beloved scenes become things you simply cannot bear to look at.
A 37-year-old player posted this on Reddit, recounting his experience after his brother's passing: since receiving the tragic news, he has not logged into the game.
This player shared that his younger brother passed away in his sleep at the age of 35. His brother barely played games, having only created a dwarf hunter character and leveled it to around 8 or 9, but he loved the world-building and cutscenes of World of Warcraft. He had gifted his brother related books, mouse pads, and figurines, and the two had watched movies together and attended comic conventions. They had even planned to go to BlizzCon together, but it never came to fruition.
Other players have shared their own stories. Some couldn't return to Azeroth for years after the death of a spouse they used to play with; others felt sorrow watching the last login date on a deceased brother's Battle.net account grow more distant. Some created characters based on their late mothers or brothers, or equipped characters resembling their fathers with golden armor.
One player built a memorial in his home to honor his father, grandfather, and brother, who all passed away within months of each other in 2010. He now visits it to talk with them, as he has no such place in real life.